Adjusting to Changing ConditionsAnthony’s entrance to the insurance industry was not surprising. He is a fourth generation insurance professional who grew up doing the typical things that a teenager does in the family agency ― filing and cleaning up, while learning the basics.
And the notion that the next generation is not as dedicated as the previous one is belied by the fact that Anthony and his father, Brent, branched out and started their own agency 15 years ago. Their new agency now has grown to four locations.
Anthony first was a full-time agent, but now mans the helm of agency technology efforts as CIO ― while still keeping his hand in as producer.
Always fascinated with technology, Anthony took a heavy load of IT classes at Bowling Green State University, which has served him well throughout his insurance career. Colleagues and clients might be surprised to learn that during his early agency years, he also did some stage acting on the side. Still another of his passions is sailboat racing and coaching. Those leisure-time pursuits helped shape his abilities to thoroughly prepare and to quickly adjust to changing conditions.
“I am from Sandusky, Ohio, which is on the shore of Lake Erie,” he says. “I particularly enjoy participating in two-person sailboat races, which can be several hundred miles in length, up and down the Great Lakes. I have seen firsthand how in a matter minutes, the calm weather can become a storm. I feel that is analogous to when an issue arises in the agency. The key is not to panic and rather to draw on experience and knowledge.”
That philosophy led him to join NetVU. “I can certainly relate to the smaller agency that makes the big decision to buy an agency management system like AMS 360, like we did in 2010. Even with my IT background, trying to figure how best to adapt it to the agency’s needs was a daunting challenge. I realized that I needed to tap into other similarly situated agencies to learn from their experience and build my knowledge base.”
Anthony adds, “The opportunity to exchange ideas not just about the agency AMS but also other ‘tech stack’ products has been invaluable. That is why I have volunteered to go on the NetVU executive board so that I can give back.
“I have a concern that not enough independent agencies are adapting fast enough to the new normal, especially in being able to offer the customer experience that some of the direct carriers are doing by leveraging technology. We need the agents to partner with the insurance companies to improve our collective capabilities.”
To supplement his industry knowledge, Anthony earned the Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist designation from the National Underwriter Company. He also completed State Auto Insurance Company’s PaceSetter, which is a selective career development program.
Anthony resides in Sandusky, Ohio, and enjoys his time with his son, Lincoln, age 7. No doubt Lincoln is a future sailor and insurance professional.