The Silicon Review | 50 Best Workplaces of the Year 2020

Richard McKinnon | CEO

An Interview with Bill Johnson, The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers

Chairman: ‘We’ve built this business around our Culture - the foundation of which is our Mission and our Core Values. Culture is paramount at Liberty. Nothing is more powerful than an engaged and passionate team who are all rowing in the same direction and who genuinely care about each other along with the rest of the stakeholders of Liberty that we work together to serve.’ “We are certainly not shy when discussing goals and data with staff, as we believe they are privy to the information.”

Culture

Bill is a native of Chicago, IL and lived in northern California before attending California State University Northridge (CSUN) where he was an All-American tennis player. After graduating college in 1986, Bill began his insurance career as a farmer’s agent and shortly thereafter founded William J. Johnson Insurance Brokers Inc. (which later became The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers). In 2002, in addition to running Liberty, Bill decided to pursue a new venture in the film business and has since Produced over 30 films including working with stars Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, The Rock, Keanu Reeves, Johnny

But after a 2017-18 year long trip around the world with his wife and 9 year old twins, Bill returned to Los Angeles and realized that his passion for building a special Culture was drawing his attention back to Liberty on a full time basis. Since that time, Liberty has exploded with growth and expects to end 2020 with north of 45 million in revenue – but more importantly, with a happy and connected team fueling that growth. On the philanthropic side, Bill founded a public charity called ‘The Enlightenment Network’ which has the mission of supporting the arts within disadvantaged youth communities around the world. Bill is a yoga and meditation enthusiast and currently lives in Pacific Palisades, California with his wife Leah. They have three children, Skyler, Jett, and Jade.

Bill Johnson: A Leader with a Passion for

Depp, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman and many others.

Bill Johnson, Chairman

Data has always been at the heart of the insurance industry. What has changed in our current reality to create massive disruption is the amount of data generated daily and the speed at which machines can process the info and uncover insights. We can no longer characterize the insurance industry as a sloth when it comes to innovation and technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are transforming the insurance industry in several ways.

Strategically applying these exciting new technologies fuels growth at The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers (TLCIB)and improves its bottom line costs through improved efficiencies.

The company provides insurance services to businesses, non-profits, and individuals. It covers the spectrum of commercial, personal, employee benefit, and surety lines.

TLCIB was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Woodland Hills, CA.

feeling good inside and then we can share those good feelings outward – first with our family, friends, and co-workers – the people closest to us – and then further outward from there to the clients, carriers, vendors, the community – all the stakeholders of the business. So, in effect, Liberty’s innovative growth strategy has been to create and harness the power of a happy, grounded, and connected workforce culture where people first focus on creating good feelings within themselves and then sharing those good feelings outward through the act of service. It turns out that this is a good business strategy as seen by Liberty’s growth and success, but more importantly, we believe that feeling good and sharing good feelings is the best way to spend our limited time on this planet when we are doing this good work that we’ve chosen to do in the world.

Many claims take time to process because insurance companies need to assess the damage and determine an accurate accounting of loss. How can the process be less time-consuming?

adjuster and negotiating the best plan of action for our client. If there are any potential delays, we identify them beforehand and address them immediately. Our goal is to get our clients’ claims resolved quickly and efficiently.

Tell us about your data management system and compliance.

Proper management of client information and data is of utmost importance to Liberty. Our clients trust us to keep their information safe and accurate, and we take every effort into ensuring we do so. Liberty has policies and procedures in place throughout the agency for each department to ensure each individual complies with our guidelines that were thoughtfully put in place. An in-house auditor position was even created to reaffirm the compliance of these policies and procedures.

‘When people are having fun, they work together better and they produce better work.’ How do you interpret this saying?

How does a casual day at Liberty Company look like?

We have a saying at Liberty which is Remember to do your J.O.B. and J.O.B. stands for ‘Joy of Being’. The idea is that the most important thing each of us can do each day is to first put ourselves in a state of

The claims process starts before a claim occurs by making sure that our clients have the proper insurance for their exposures. When a loss occurs, we help them through the process by gathering the pertinent information reporting it to the proper carrier(s) right away. We follow up with the carrier(s) to make sure that an adjuster is assigned right away and aware of the exposures. We keep the client informed of the status of the claim throughout the life of the claim. We do this by staying in touch with the

Our mission statement: ‘promoting peace of mind with great care’. Now ‘peace of mind’ is not something you can give to another person –that feeling can only come from within each individual. But you can certainly ‘promote peace of mind’ and that is already inherent in the work we do in insurance – helping people to sleep easier at night knowing their lives are protected. But ‘promoting peace of mind’ is more than that – it’s also how you treat your fellow man/woman that can help to create and promote peace of mind. And you can certainly

Bill Johnson, The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers Chairman, spoke exclusively to The Silicon Review. Below is an excerpt.

Interview with John McKenna, ConvergeOne CEO: ‘We Believe that Diversity of Thought, Perspective, and Background are Key Ingredients to Personal Fulfillment and Business Success’

An

“We value diversity in backgrounds and beliefs and provide an environment where individuals are encouraged to be who they are and be part of an incredible team.”

ConvergeOne is a leading IT services provider of collaboration and technology solutions for large and medium enterprises.

The company was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Bloomington, MN.

John McKenna, ConvergeOne CEO, spoke exclusively to The Silicon Review. Below is an excerpt.

Targeted attacks, compromised infrastructure, and cloud computing are three top risks for third parties. How do you address these challenges with your solution?

ConvergeOne Cyber Recovery Services provide a combination of the specialized and secure cyber

vault and analytics technologies with traditional backup platforms, giving our customers the ability to recover their systems and data and resume operations as quickly as possible. Our customers rest easier knowing that their data is protected and recoverable in the event of a ransomware or malware infection.

With our cybersecurity practice, we engage in WAVES – a proprietary, industry-leading methodology that allows us to fully assess and analyze a customer environment before prescribing mission-critical solutions. This process helps ensure we provide complete solution recommendations.

As a result of our quick and decisive actions to the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed business resiliency solutions that enabled hundreds of customers and thousands of global users to move to work from home and customer support remote configurations.We also accelerated our portfolio alignment with

expanded cloud offers to better assist customers as they navigate their new dynamic readiness strategy.

Providing flawless and reliable IT services needs experts in the house. How did you manage to form your dream team?

We believe in the power of connection. We strive to attract talent – a highly-skilled, specialized team at the top of their game to support our solutions. We value diversity in backgrounds and beliefs and provide an environment where individuals are encouraged to be who they are and be part of an incredible team. Through our career opportunities and team member referral programs, we connect individuals with the resources they need to be great every day.

Moreover, to attract high-caliber talent, we leverage social media platforms such as LinkedIn. We

utilize Circa to promote jobs on a national network of over 600 local employment and diversity sites across the country. We also encourage our team members to manage their careers and explore opportunities within the company. We actively post our open jobs and support the cross-pollination of our talent. We welcome talented individuals to check out careers with ConvergeOne. We also offer an attractive and comprehensive Benefits platform, including 401(k) plan, medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave, In-Vitro fertility treatment coverage, legal/ID theft plans, pet insurance, and many well-being programs.

Last but not least, one of the most valuable things a ConvergeOne team member can do is recommend someone to join our team. Team members can receive up to $5,000 for bringing a friend on board.

Growing the company based on employees' passions must be the priority. Do you ask your employees what they are interested in doing and how they would like to see their career unfold?

Our leaders play an integral role in engaging and communicating with our team members. We provide on-going support and resources to our managers to assist their team members in achieving their potential. Through our partnership with Gartner, we offer Manager Success Series workshops. Among these webinars, they provide our leaders with tools to conduct effective performance discussions, coach to connect, communicate with impact, and manage top talent.

“We’ve spent decades

John McKenna, Chairman & CEO

The term Public Relations (PR) seems very popular, but it is quite evident that not everyone understands what it means. Although every business in the digital world understands that PR is an excellent way to upgrade its reputation and build a marketing approach, very few of them actually know much about what PR involves, and only a few take a lot of effort and time to stay on top. PR is all about sharing the right information with the right people and building a brand’s reputation. PR agencies work diligently with organizations to help them build their image in their industry. To promote the client’s agenda, effective marketing strategies will be used appropriately by PR agencies.

Globally, there are various PR agencies, but one that stands out from the rest is Ascendant Communications. Ascendant’s integrated B2B public relations and communications programs produce results that build brands, transform market perceptions, and drive sales. From insightful thinking to tactical implementation, Ascendant helps you overcome the challenge of being seen and heard in today’s crowded market place. So your message reaches the right audiences — first time, every time. No matter which industry you work in — public sector, green energy, technology, or financial services — and regardless of how big, or small, you are, Ascendant delivers game-changing PR that covers the online and

offline worlds. Whether it’s breaking news, a powerful customer testimonial, positioning your thought leadership and expertise, or kick-starting your social media presence, Ascendant’s strategy-led approach to PR ensures everyone — from opinion-shapers to key decision-makers in your chosen markets — hears you loud and clear. Ascendant Communications was founded in 2003, and it is based in London.

In conversation with James Cooper, Director of Ascendant Communications

What was your goal when you founded Ascendant?

I had a very clear idea of the kind of agency I wanted to set up and run, one where experienced people and senior consultants worked collaboratively to deliver real value for their clients. I’d seen the worst of PR — from both the agency and the client-side. I’d worked in agencies where young people did all the work, only to be pushed out when they became too expensive or promoted to management roles that involved little contact with clients and didn’t make the best use of their skills, and I’d worked in companies where it was difficult to access high-caliber external PR services and support. I wanted to do something different. Ascendant is built on a horizontal model with a collegiate,

rather than hierarchical, team structure. We work closely together, in the best interests of our clients. In my experience, hierarchical structures are less effective because most of the best and most experienced people do the least PR work, and are too busy chasing new business, etc. I wanted new accounts, yes, but I also wanted to put my skills and my experience as a consultant to use.

What’s a typical day at the agency?

We provide a comprehensive communications service — from message development and media training to campaign planning and corporate positioning — and we cover all communications channels. Our writers craft everything from social media posts and Twitter feeds to thought leadership papers and PR reports. We’re regularly in touch with journalists and with industry analysts to raise the profile of our clients. We commission quantitative research on behalf of our clients, we help them run and publicize their events, and we write case studies showing the quality of service they provide. We communicate regularly with our long-standing clients, and I spend a lot of my time traveling to see companies in Europe and the US and discuss communications strategy with them. Our employees are flexible, and they respond well

Meet the leader behind the success of Ascendant Communications

James Cooper is the Director of Ascendant Communications. He has specialized in B2B and technology PR for more than 20 years, and is a former PR director of two American technology companies. He founded the UK-based agency Ascendant Communications in 2003, and has since worked for some of the biggest names in the global tech industry, including Microsoft, SAP, Akamai, TIBCO and Hybris. In 2017, Ascendant was named one of the top 20 PR agencies by B2B Marketing magazine. Here, James talks about his approach to B2B PR and his hopes for Ascendant in the future.

James Cooper, Director

Gillie Tennant Account Director

FieldLogix is one of the most enduring companies in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) industry. It focuses heavily on product innovation and customer support to ensure that it’s clients have the best experience possible with its service. This focus has helped FieldLogix to grow rapidly and to become the leading Field Resource Management provider.

The company was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Palmer,

exclusively to The Silicon Review. Below is an excerpt.

Explain your services in brief.

We provide a Field Resource Management platform that helps organizations better manage their remote personnel, vehicles, and heavy equipment. This is done through a SaaS solution that they

use to monitor their drivers' current locations, past activities, driving habits, and more. They can also plan and optimize their daily routes and dispatch jobs to their field employees through our platform.

We help hundreds of companies worldwide increase billing revenues, reduce labor and fuel costs, and improve driver safety, vehicle health, and productivity.

Developing a revolutionary resource management platform needs experts in house. How did you manage to form your dream team?

We were lucky when we first started because we were able to hire very skilled people despite not having an established ‘brand’. Unfortunately, once we gained notoriety in our industry, we started bringing in people who weren’t aligned with our values. Because of this, we eventually had to create a formal procedure for our hiring process.

We now have a very thorough screening and interview process.

To start, we write a thorough job description and establish criteria

for a successful candidate. We then post the job to the best channels and evaluate those that apply for the job against our criteria. We then screen candidates via phone to confirm that they qualify for the role. If they do, then we move them to the formal interview process, which consists of three interviews. The interviews cover their prior work experience, their personality (to ensure a cultural fit), and a demonstration of their relevant knowledge. Once they complete the interviews, we conduct a thorough reference check with their prior employers. Upon hiring, we establish well-defined goals and objectives and conduct reviews with them every 30 days to ensure that they are developing professionally and are on track to meet their goals. We can find very talented people and keep them longer using this approach. We ensure that the diversity of our team reflects the diversity of society as a whole. One of our core values is that we respect everyone that we interact with. We select our team members based on their alignment with our values and correct issues that don’t align with them as soon as they arise.

Yukon

FieldLogix President, spoke

We wholly believe that employees’ attitudes reflect their success in what they are trying to accomplish. If someone has a positive attitude about their work environment and teammates, then they will give 110 percent to ensure that the company is successful. Conversely, we understand that a negative attitude is also reflected in how they go about their tasks. In this situation, they only will put forth the bare minimum effort and will eventually become someone who just works to collect a paycheck. We try our best to ensure that our employees don’t fall under this category. We believe that people who enjoy the company they work for, their work environment, and their teammates will put the team’s interests above their own for the good of the company. We look for people who have a history of being team players and continuously conduct team building and volunteer activities to ensure that everyone is engaged and enjoying their experience at FieldLogix.

In His Own Words

I have been in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) industry since 2000 and started FieldLogix in 2002 based on a business plan written in the San Diego State University MBA program. I am very involved in the day-to-day aspects of the company.

On the family front, I have been married to my wonderful and supportive wife, Cathy, for 19 years and have two amazing children.

‘When people are having fun, they work together better and they produce better work.’ How do you interpret this saying?

Yukon Palmer, President of FieldLogix:

Yukon Palmer President

Cathy Palmer