Insurance Women Are ‘Girls’ No More in This Industry

There’s the old saying about death and taxes—that they’re only things you can really count on. But it could be argued that there’s something else that’s just about as dependable as those two stalwarts—change. Times change (just ask Bob Dylan), weather changes, fashions change, and so do industries. The insurance industry is no exception, especially when it comes to the status and experiences of women in the profession.

“When I started in 1982, CSRs were still referred to as ‘girls,'” said Rosemarie Marshall, vice president, HEATH Insurance Brokers, and president of the Texas Surplus Lines Association (TSLA). “And the girls didn’t go out to business lunches; they didn’t meet company people. Now we’re seeing more women in management. There’s a different attitude, even since I started, which was not that long ago.”

Marshall added there are now more women in associations and more women on boards of associations. “Back in 1994 there was only one woman on the TSLA board, now there are three. Women now have the opportunity to get involved and they are taking the opportunity.”

To Texas General Agency’s Judy Walker, president-elect of the Federation of Insurance Women in Texas (FIWT), one of the biggest changes she’s seen is the establishment of the title of CSR. Walker credits the Independent Insurance Agents of America (IIAA) for that. The title “gave those in that position professional respect,” said Walker. “It established the position, and that position in agency business has grown to be an important one.”

Toni Campbell, outgoing president of FIWT, recalled that when she started her career in insurance in 1970, women couldn’t be in marketing, they weren’t allowed to be underwriters and they couldn’t wear pants. By 1978, however, Campbell had become the first female marketing representative in East Texas. She had moved from her first job as a TMP rater at Continental Insurance to Zurich, where she was allowed a shot at underwriting and from there was able to move into the marketing department. Campbell is now regional marketing manager at The Combined Group.

Now, said Campbell, “if you go to a Dallas marketing association meeting, it’s mostly women. Women can now hold vice president positions, and that certainly wasn’t the case when I started. We couldn’t wear pants in the beginning, we had to wear a dress.” Campbell added that around 1974 or 1975 women started wearing pants, but only if they were part of a matching suit.

Neysa Gresham, executive vice president of Western Integrity Insurance Group, agreed that things were different in 1970 when she started her career. “There was more of a good old boy mentality,” said Gresham “It’s a lot easier now for women to get into the industry and be successful. Then men ran everything and women were the secretaries, the clerical workers. Now women have their own agencies and they are running them very successfully. The opportunity there now for women is phenomenal.”

For Mary Russell, vice president of personal lines for Higginbotham & Associates, the industry has always been about opportunity. “The insurance industry is a wonderful avenue for women…it offers great opportunities,” said Russell, who started her career 18 years ago with American General in Fort Worth. Russell said insurance gave her the opportunity to work hard and move up—to the level of vice president—with a few years of college but no degree.

Russell stressed the importance of working hard and learning as much as possible in order to take advantage of that opportunity. “Spend time in each area of insurance—marketing/sales, claims, support processing—and determine what matches your personality,” said Russell, “then learn what you can. Take classes…licensing classes. Work toward designation—take one class a year—first CISR, then CIC, then move up. Continue to do that and people will see that you are interested in your career.”

Sherri Hendricks, vice president of transportation for Specialty Insurance Managers Incorporated and president of the Insurance Women of Austin, agreed. “I was given the opportunity by my dad (Frank Berry, owner of Specialty Insurance),” said Hendricks, “but what I did with the opportunity is where I am today.” Hendricks said in her 21 years in the business, she’s learned it is critical “to do the very best that you can—the rewards are phenomenal.” She noted “its been a neat experience, I can’t see myself doing something else.”

Mentors along the way
The importance of mentors is echoed over and over in the voices of women who have succeeded in an industry that was once dominated by men, and one in which women now comprise some 61.5 percent of the workforce, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures as of January 2000.

Mentors helped Judy Walker get involved in FIWT and stressed the importance of belonging to the association for her professional growth. Walker said her mentors, especially, Laila Grant from Mid-land, instilled pride in the profession and guided her not only in general insurance matters, but professionally as well.

Sherri Hendricks’ biggest mentor is her father, Frank Berry. “I’ve admired the man for his talents, for his beliefs. He gave me the opportunity, believed in me, and with his guidance, I grew.”

Rosemarie Marshall had a number of mentors along her career path. Frank Comiskey, her first boss at Comiskey Insurance Agency in Houston, was “a tough man to work for,” said Marshall, “but I learned a tremendous amount from him. I learned how to put a package together, how to make a presentation, find information, read policy forms.”

Marshall said Bob Quirk with Quirk and Company helped her when she moved over to the wholesale side. “I was new to wholesale, I didn’t know up from down. He was a lawyer and a CPA, so I learned from a different perspective.”

Marshall also learned a lot from Mike Symonds at Quirk and Todd Titell, her current boss at HEATH, who she describes as being “extremely open and approachable.”

Neysa Gresham gave kudos to her husband, Gary Gresham, with whom she owns Western Integrity. “He knew about workers comp and non-subscriber policies,” said Gresham, who started her career in life and health insurance. “He’s a great person to watch and learn from.”

Gresham also praised a former boss, Wayne Williams of Williams Financial. The two men are “both bright, intelligent, honest and ethical,” said Gresham. “They both do things one way, the honest and ethical way, and I’ve watched their examples.”

Mary Russell said her primary mentor has been Rusty Reed, president of Higginbotham & Associates. Russell said she worked with Reed on some projects at American General when he was in sales and she worked in the claims area. She has worked with him at Higginbotham for 11 years. “He gives you an idea and lets you run with it,” said Russell. “He helps you with the big picture…and if you make mistakes, he gives advice, asks you to think about how to improve…he’s a pretty good mentor.”

An unbelievable ride
“Hold on—it’s an unbelievable ride. It’s a very challenging profession,” said Hendricks, when asked for advice to newcomers to the profession. “My stepdaughter is 25 now, she’s been working with us for two years and she’s just gobbling up information. I can see her in my position 20 years from now.”

“There’s enormous opportunity for CSRs and producers…there’s not enough of them,” she added. “We’ve brought in 20-something (aged) women, trained them and now they’re a commodity. They can sell themselves to other companies, to competitors, it happens all the time.”

People coming in should “consider themselves a sponge,” added Gresham. “Find someone to learn from and follow them around. Read, attend seminars and classes, study, and learn to be the best you can be.”