PEOPLE
CAREER PATH
ADDING VALUE From his days as an accounting intern to leading Gallagher Bassett, Mike Hessling has always enjoyed solving clients’ problems A strong aptitude for math, a desire to go into business and his rules-driven nature drew Hessling to an accounting degree. During his junior year, an auditing internship with Ernst & Young clarified his future path. “I wanted to apply accounting to customers in a way that would help them; I get a charge out of interacting with people, hearing their business problems and helping solve them.”
2001 LEARNS LESSONS FROM ENRON When Arthur Andersen became embroiled in the Enron scandal, Hessling took away two key lessons from his time in the litigation practice. “I learned the importance of details – every detail matters. Also, I saw the rapid deterioration of a proud organization and brand due to the actions of a few – every day I would see the firm losing clients, and I realized that a reputation can be lost in a matter of minutes.”
2007 MOTIVATES A TEAM When a partner defected to Bain & Company, Hessling followed. “For one project, I managed a team in Alaska – I spent six and a half hours in the air every week for a year. I loved the challenge of keeping a team of twentysomethings motivated and excited. We held ice-carving competitions, went to the Iditarod, went moose-spotting – we had the highest team scores in the office because of those efforts.”
2020 BECOMES CEO Appointed CEO of Gallagher Bassett’s North American operations in February, Hessling says his new role is about commitment. “Our clients are betting their reputations on our ability to deliver. I want clients to say, ‘You can put your trust in Gallagher Bassett.’ I also have a commitment to our team: leading with integrity, creating opportunity for career growth, driving a performance-based culture and giving people not just a job, but a career and a place they can call home.”
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1997
CHOOSES ACCOUNTING
1999
FIGURES OUT WHAT HE WANTS Having fallen in love with Chicago during his summer internship, Hessling moved to the city to take a consultant position with Arthur Andersen. “I thought Chicago had phenomenal opportunities for me to consider where I might take my career; joining Arthur Andersen enabled me to narrow in on what I wanted to do with my career. Opportunities find you when you’re clear on what you want to do.”
2003 GETS A TASTE OF INSURANCE While getting his MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Hessling became the first on-campus hire by Bridge Strategy Group, which facilitated his introduction to insurance.
“It gave me my first taste of this great industry. Working with bright people who are driven and motivated, and the level of energy you bring to the table, are far more important than the industry you work in” 2012 MOVES TO GALLAGHER BASSET Seeing the chance to bring his varied experience together, Hessling made the move to Gallagher Bassett to take on the role of chief client officer. “It was the culmination of all the things I had lived through in my career in one position. It was about client service and engagement, leadership, and adding value with a company that had a phenomenal reputation. The stars aligned in a way that was a no-brainer.”
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