While the insurance industry is changing in many ways, one facet remains constant -- insurance is a people-driven business built on relationships. Unlike other industries that assess their capital value in terms of facilities, properties and equipment, Regional Executive Vice President Dan Williamson says that Brown & Brown considers its most important asset to be its “athletes” -- a team of dedicated and highly motivated management, sales professionals and service staff.

“Recognizing the importance of people as our principal asset, we devote a great deal of time recruiting, cultivating and evaluating our employees to ensure that we maintain a well-developed organization that is not dependent on a small group of decision-makers,” says Dan. “Rather, our decentralized structure allows decisions to be made on a local level, eliminating rigid rules and bureaucratic interference that can slow progress and stifle new ideas.”

“Like any winning team, we recognize that success is achieved when all of our ‘athletes’ perform to their full potential,” says Dan. To this end, Brown & Brown’s management team works continuously to ensure that the company has a strong lineup of players who can carry the organization to the next level of performance. By recruiting bright entrepreneurial-minded individuals from numerous different industries and backgrounds, the company benefits from fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.

More importantly, Brown & Brown knows that empowering employees with authority and accountability results in wise business decisions. According to Dan, a compensation system that rewards success helps to further develop employees and encourage greater achievement. With a vested interest in their work, Brown & Brown employees understand the value of their contributions to the company’s overall success. Monthly financial results are reported to all employees in both the income-producing units and integral service departments, the result of which is a team that clearly understands the company’s game plan and where they stand in relation to goals.

“The old saying that ordinary people can do extraordinary things bears true for us,” adds Dan. “While we consider that our employees are far more than ordinary, we believe that they achieve extraordinary results because they are challenged, empowered and rewarded for doing so.”