FEATURE him about returning to Connecticut for a job at the agency . Now , almost 46 years later , he ' s still in the business !
So , what changed and why has he stayed ?
" I ’ ve been so fortunate from early in my career to have had great mentors and leaders to learn from , including my dad until he retired . I ’ m guessing most of us who have been around a while have probably had impactful people in their lives ."
DIFFERENT WORLD ; SAME INDUSTRY
As you might imagine , the industry has changed significantly during Kevin ' s tenure . he says technology has been one of the driving factors for that . " It ’ s funny to think back because when I started , there was an ashtray , rolodex , and an adding machine with tape on every desk in the office . Technology continues to be an important tool in our business and I fully expect that this trend will continue ."
But in spite of the changes , Kevin says this still is a " people business " first , and he doesn ' t see that changing anytime soon . " That fact will remain regardless of how much technology we embrace ."
Being a people business also means being there to help people in their time of need . " We can be there to help when the worst things happen to them . We are often seen as peddling a necessary evil , but the reality is that we enable people to make daily decisions that without insurance they would not be able to make – protecting their homes , their businesses , and most importantly their loved one ’ s futures ."
What would he like to see changed in the industry ?
" Insurance is very complex , so one thing I ’ d like to change is to make insurance policies less lawyer friendly and more client friendly . I understand that the language in policies is based on tested court cases , but there needs to be more of a focus on making them less complex to understand ."
“ we enable people to make daily decisions
that without insurance they would not be able to make ...”
While Kevin says technology has ushered in much of the change we ' ve seen in the industry , he is also wary of what some of the current changes may lead to in insurance .
" I think the temptation to take short cuts using AI technology is one of the biggest challenges we face . Technology is critically important as a tool in our toolbox , but we have to remember that while it has its advantages , it also has its shortcomings . We can never rely on it as a replacement for knowledge gained through the hard work and experience that comes with educating ourselves and working as advocates for our clients ."
THE IMPACT OF THE ASSOCIATION
In Kevin ' s perspective , the role KAIA plays is critical to the future of independent agents in Kansas . That ' s part of the reason he got involved in the Association .
" I wanted to give back to an industry that supported my growth throughout the years and felt that getting involved in KAIA would expose me to more and better insurance minds . And that is exactly what has happened , and it ’ s helped my career tremendously ."
By working together , he feels we can make a difference for the industry and our clients .
" I think that there are some things you can ’ t accomplish as an individual . But banding together as an association , we can and we do make real change happen . And KAIA has made some very important and effective changes in the past few years that have
MARCH / APRIL 2024
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