Like many insurance professionals,
Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co.’s Logan McLain didn’t graduate college with the intent of heading straight for the nearest insurance office.
Instead, the business management major from the University of Houston-Downtown was cruising his school’s careers page when he came across an ad from Hartford Steam Boiler for a business development analyst.
“It really intrigued me because I thought of insurance in a very typical way – auto, life, health – and the research I did on the company showed me it wasn’t like that at all,” said McLain. “Then, when I went in to interview, I realized the shortest tenure at the company of any person I spoke with was 27 years. I was blown away, and I became very receptive to learning about the industry.”
Though the hiring process was lengthy, McLain was invested and was brought on board in February of last year. Quickly earning his AINS degree, he worked hard with Hartford Steam Boiler’s client company managers to expand his industry knowledge, network and help expand the carrier’s gross written premium.
One of McLain’s proudest moments came when he able to book $100,000 of a total $250,000 in premium as a direct result of his research and analysis of general budgets with a pool of governmental risks.
“The work could be pretty tedious, but they utilized my research exclusively to put together the quote,” he said. “It means a lot to have something tangible I can point to as a result of my work.”
McLain is also enjoying travel and face-to-face meetings with clients, drawing on the industry’s long history of doing business on relationships. It’s something he was able to appreciate almost immediately after waiting tables and working in restaurants since
he was 15, most recently at a black-tie restaurant in Houston.
“I really met every single walk of life you can think of, and picked up nuances on how to maintain your calm and professionalism in stressful situations,” McLain said. “Now, a couple of years down the road, I can draw from those experiences I had with clients. I would say that but for the restaurant industry, I wouldn’t have been nearly as prepared for work in insurance.”
McLain, who was named one of Insurances Business America’s Young Guns in 2016, hopes to continues with Hartford Steam
Boiler as long as possible, going on to work in consumer-facing and management roles.
Outside the office, he is actively involved in community outreach, including through the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program and the Citizens for Animal Protection.
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