USI a ‘Well-Oiled Machine’ in Year 30
A thirtieth birthday marks a key milestone in a person’s life.
It’s the age when crashing on your friend’s couch is no longer an acceptable sleeping arrangement, and when every bend of the back becomes accompanied by a sigh or a grunt.
It’s also a time to take stock of the past and look to the future.
When USI Insurance Services opened in 1994, the Valhalla, New York-based brokerage firm had $6.5 million in revenue and 40 associates. USI (which stands for Understand, Service and Innovate) now brings in more than $2.7 billion in revenue and employs over 10,000 associates across approximately 200 offices nationwide.
Appreciation from employees responding to Insurance Journal’s 2024 Best Agencies to Work For survey has earned USI the Bronze award for the East region this year. In the survey, many USI team members praised the firm’s professional and collaborative culture, as well as the brokerage’s focus on growth — both as a firm and for its employees.
“USI is just a very well-oiled machine that keeps moving in a positive direction,” an employee wrote. “Day in and day out, people reach out to me on wanting to get hired at USI.”
When asked why she believes USI is a great place to work, Kim Van Orman, the insurance brokerage’s SVP and chief people officer, said USI attracts and retains “talented and passionate individuals,” adding that the firm has “a unique culture that is focused on personal and professional development, employee recognition, diversity, corporate social responsibility, and success.”
She later added, “We create this environment through thoughtful employee programming, and we do it because we believe our industry-leading workplace culture provides long-term success for both employees and the clients we serve.”
Van Orman explained that two areas that set USI apart from other firms are the brokerage’s “continual investment in innovation and unique people-focused programs.”
Together, she said, the programs “have created an unparalleled employee experience and industry-leading culture that prioritizes our team members and their families in and out of the workplace.”
Employees value the effort. In their survey responses, two team members said that the brokerage’s culture is “second to none,” and another said that USI “will be my last employer.”
Many more heaped praises on a workplace atmosphere that they described as supportive and cohesive.
“Management within the organization helps to remove barriers and find ways to achieve success,” a team member said. “The organization is driven by having the entire team perform at a high level. It is truly a team atmosphere with everyone helping each other to benefit the organization.”
Many employees also highlighted “USI Gives Back,” a program in which each of the firm’s offices participates in local community service events every year. A team member said the initiative “isn’t just a publicity ploy,” and added that they are “proud to be with a company that cares.”
Employees also pointed to the firm’s Summit Awards program, which acknowledges employees who go above and beyond.
“The recognition comes with a generous reward, which not only motivates me but also inspires all of us to strive for excellence,” a survey respondent said. “Knowing that hard work and dedication are celebrated pushes me to give my best every day, and it’s incredibly rewarding to be part of an organization that values its employees in this way.”
USI may be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, but the firm has a more than 150-year legacy of industry experience and expertise gained through its agency partnerships — some of which have been serving their local communities since the 1860s, according to Van Orman.
“I am incredibly grateful to our exceptional team of professionals throughout the country for their dedication to USI,” Van Orman said. “Our people are at the heart of our organization, and the fact that they nominated USI for this award is a strong testament to our firm-wide commitment to creating a different and better employee experience here at USI.”