'There's always a 'story' to tell and finding that story is critical'

Top broker says getting thorough submissions is a challenging part of the job

'There's always a 'story' to tell and finding that story is critical'

People

By Bethan Moorcraft

After 30 years working on both the carrier and brokerage sides of insurance, Gary Grindle truly knows his stuff.

As executive vice president at AmWINS Brokerage of New England, Grindle provides wholesale brokerage services to retail clients throughout the US. He specializes in writing hard-to-place construction, manufacturing, multinational, and industrial E&S accounts.

Before joining AmWINS, Grindle held roles at Colemont Insurance Brokers, Guilford Specialty Group, Citigroup, Travelers and more. He has also served on AIG’s Wholesale Broker Advisory Board and co-led AmWINS Environmental Practice Group.

Grindle features as an Insurance Business Top Specialist Broker 2018 for his work in casualty lines. We caught up with him to find out more about his insurance journey:

How did you get started in the industry?
A close friend was in the industry and helped me get a job with Aetna C&S as an underwriting trainee in the early 1980s.
 
What are the best parts of your job?
Finding a solution for a tough risk where others have failed.
 
What challenges have you faced in your role?
Getting thorough submissions is often the most challenging aspect of the job. Without good information it’s challenging to find the best solutions. This is particularly true for accounts that have poor loss records. There’s always a “story” to tell and finding that story is critical.

Obtaining quality and complete information in order to provide professional and complete submissions to our carrier partners is always the goal. We want to be sure our submissions tell a compelling story and will always go to the top of the underwriting pile.

What have you learned from your current place of work?
AmWINS has a wonderful collaborative culture. Specialization and collaboration are powerful tools in an organization of our size and capabilities.
 
What advice would you give to someone working their way up the insurance ladder?
Find a mentor, someone who is good at what they do and willing to share. Work hard and constantly ask for new responsibilities and tasks, don’t wait to be asked. Learn your craft and become an expert. Seek outside education. Never bluff, if you don’t know something, admit it and then find the answer.
 
If you weren’t working in insurance, what would you be doing?
Volunteering time to various charities, biking, traveling, reading and diving.
 
What is your favorite hobby?
Reading anything about history and traveling.

 

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