Retired US Air Force pilot soars to new heights with RT Specialty

'Never dwell upon your failures; learn from them,' says top broker

Retired US Air Force pilot soars to new heights with RT Specialty

People

By Bethan Moorcraft

Retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Shan Rogers (pictured) did not stay grounded for long after leaving the Texas Air National Guard in March 2014.

In fact, the pilot with more than 28 years of aviation experience quickly landed post-retirement employment with RT Specialty, who happened to be looking for ex-military pilots to learn aviation insurance.

Since joining RT Specialty in April 2014, Rogers has used his deep understanding of aviation operations, safety, risk management and maintenance development to create a viable and responsive aviation center of excellence for the company.

In just four years, the company’s aviation division has grown by 75% year-on-year. This success has led to Rogers being recognized in the prestigious Insurance Business Specialist Broker 2018 list. We caught up with him to find out more about his soaring success story.

How did you get started in the industry?
In March of 2014, I began the process of retiring from the Texas Air National Guard and was searching for post-retirement employment. In order to file my veteran’s disability paperwork, I was working with the Wounded Warrior Project and jointed their Warriors to Work program. Their representative for the Dallas area was a conference and was approached by RT Specialty. They were looking to hire a retired military pilot that they could teach Aviation Insurance. It was a good fit and I started working for RT on April 14, 2014.
 
What are the best parts of your job?
The best part about the job is taking my combined aviation and military experience, and securing the best terms for our agents and insureds.
 
What challenges have you faced in your role?
Becoming technically proficient at insurance specifics while growing a small book into a sustainable juggernaut of aviation insurance professionalism and success.
 
What have you learned from your current place of work?
I’ve learned all about insurance undertakings and how they impact aviation operations. The basic risk management between flying and insurance is similar. The major difference is: in flying, risk management is how likely are you to die, while in insurance, risk management is how expensive is it going to cost?
 
What advice would you give to someone working their way up the insurance ladder?
I have three key pieces of advice. Work hard every day and build upon your success of the previous day. Analyze your failures honestly to see what you can do better, but don’t dwell upon them. And finally, it’s always important to believe in yourself.
 
If you weren’t working in insurance, what would you be doing?
Probably something like government contracting or consulting.
 
What is your favorite hobby?
Flying airplanes for fun!

 

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