The Ultimate Account Manager - What Will Be
Length: 2 Hours
For the first time in American history, there are as many as five different generations in the workplace. You might think that’s a good thing, since we have previously talked about the talent shortage facing the industry. And it is a good thing, but like so many others, it is not without its challenges. When there were only three generations of workers, which was the norm for a long time, the middle generation usually served as the “interpreters” since they were connected to each of the others. Now, with perhaps as many as 60- or 70-years’ span between the oldest and youngest employees, there are too many layers and languages being spoken for a single person to interpret.
Cheryl Koch has been in the insurance industry for a very, very long time. Now, you might think that makes her old, however, old is merely a state of mind. Over the years, Cheryl has served in nearly every capacity in an Independent Agency, having been an Account Manager, Producer and Agency Owner. She now devotes her time to agency management consulting and training and speaking at industry functions throughout the country. She is the President and CEO of Agency Management Resource Group located in Roseville, California. Cheryl consults on marketing and sales, sales management, agency operations, automation, and strategic planning.
Cheryl is also a devotee of lifelong learning and has earned a number of insurance industry professional designations: CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter), CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor), ARM (Associate in Risk Management), AAI (Accredited Adviser in Insurance), API (Associate in Personal Insurance), AAM (Associate in Automation Management), AIM (Associate in Management), AIS (Associate in Insurance Services), ARP (Associate in Research and Planning), Associate in General Insurance (AINS), ACSR (Accredited Customer Service Representative) and AFIS (Agribusiness and Farm Insurance Specialist). It is the last designation, AFIS, of which she is most proud, having created it along with the late Dr. Emmett J. Vaughan. Some would say that Cheryl is a real insurance nerd, and she would not disagree.
Cheryl has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from UCLA and an MBA from Sacramento State University, where she served as a faculty member in their Risk Management and Insurance program for many years. She has also served as President of the Sacramento Chapter of CPCU and was on the CPCU Society’s Board of Governors for three years.
Cheryl serves as a volunteer member of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America Virtual University “Ask An Expert” Committee. She is also a member of the Society of Insurance Trainers and Educators (SITE), the Society of CPCU and the American Association of Insurance Management Consultants (AAIMCO).
When she’s not busy with her insurance activities, Cheryl enjoys spending time at baseball games, and has been to nearly every major league ballpark. She is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, which should explain a lot about her.
Sharon Koches, owner/consultant of Managing Performance, LLC is an Insurance Educator, consultant and industry resource. She is also a consultant for Agency Management Resource Group and serves on the National CPCU Society Leadership Council.
Sharon was Vice President of Insurance Operations & Technical Affairs at the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (IIANC). A member of the Senior Management Team, responsibilities included technical affairs, management of IIANC’s Errors & Omissions Program, Group Insurance Program, Market Access Program and the insurance operations for the North Carolina Association of Insurance Agents (NCAIA), an affiliated corporation of IIANC which is responsible for placing the insurance coverage for the State of North Carolina, including state agencies, departments and universities. In addition she was responsible for special projects, creating and instructing educational courses and symposiums, and consulting on agency procedures and technical issues.
Prior to that, Sharon was with The Institutes (previously the American Institute for CPCU/ and the Insurance Institute of America) serving as a sales executive in the Southern Region, as well as liaison to the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA).
Sharon was an account manager, a field underwriting/production position, for Selective Insurance Company’s Alternative Market/Large Accounts Department (SRM). Her other positions at Selective included specialty lines account manager and agency management specialist (small/middle market field underwriting/production). She also handled Casualty Facultative Reinsurance.