The insurance industry in America has faced a tough year with many challenges, from rising costs and severe weather events to shrinking markets and changing regulations. But one of the biggest hurdles leaders have been working on is fixing talent shortages. Customers today want quick responses, and companies are striving to meet those expectations despite a shrinking workforce.
This year’s Hot 100 list from Insurance Business America highlights leaders who have excelled in these difficult times. They have focused on finding new talent and helping their current teams take on bigger roles, all while using technology to work smarter.
At Heffernan Insurance Brokers in Walnut Creek, CA, CFO Philip Mortimer has played a key part in growing the company from $600 million to $2 billion in premiums within just three years. Facing many retirements on his team, Mortimer rebuilt the finance group by clearly defining roles and giving employees ownership of their work. He meets often with his team to understand their career goals and aligns those with the company’s strategy. This way, the firm’s top talent is ready to step into new roles as they come up.
Over at Crawford & Company in Peachtree Corners, GA, President Paul Kottler has focused on speeding up how adjusters gain experience. Their Protégé Program cuts the time to become an executive general adjuster from 10-15 years down to about five. It accepts people straight from college and those changing careers. Kottler also brought in specialists from fields like finance, law, and engineering to boost the team’s capabilities. His group even relaunched the Ocean Marine Division to handle specialized shipping insurance, a critical area for the U.S. economy.
MSIG USA in New York, led by CEO Peter McKenna, has grown rapidly by hiring 180 people in the past year, including 13 new executives. McKenna credits this growth to their focus on modernizing underwriting with digital tools, making the company more attractive to younger workers. The new leadership team brings skills beyond traditional insurance, focusing on building a strong culture and mentoring younger staff.
Fred Karlinsky, chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Global Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice Group in Fort Lauderdale, FL, emphasizes leading by example. He expects hard work and constant learning from himself and his team. Karlinsky encourages employees to specialize so they can bring unique value and serve clients efficiently.
Technology and AI also play a big role in these companies’ strategies. Skilled workers are still essential, but smart systems help them work faster and smarter. Mortimer uses AI-powered tools like Comulate to speed up tasks that once took days. Kottler’s team uses drones and satellite images to assess large claims quickly. McKenna explains that MSIG USA built a single data platform that ties finance, operations, claims, and underwriting together, speeding up decisions and improving consistency. Karlinsky stresses that despite AI’s benefits, human judgment must always guide its use to avoid bias or mistakes.
The Hot 100 leaders show that success comes from blending technology with trust and connecting data with empathy. They accelerate training programs to help people grow fast and bring fresh ideas to their firms. They update systems to attract talent and stay flexible in changing markets. And most importantly, they empower their teams to share ideas and shape the company’s future.
These approaches have helped their organizations not only survive but thrive through a challenging year. The insurance industry is changing, and these leaders are helping it move forward by building strong, smart teams ready for what’s next.