Leading Ladies of Voluntary Benefits

Leading Ladies of Voluntary Benefits

By Trevor & Heather Garbers

At Voluntary Advantage, we want to recognize and celebrate the people who make our industry great. For our inaugural edition, we thought it appropriate to highlight some leading females and their contributions to the industry. We interviewed Karrie Nelson (KN), Principal, Voluntary Benefit Center of Excellence Leader for Mercer; Kerry Connor (KC), National Voluntary Benefits Practice Leader for Epic Brokers; and Katie Anderson (KA), Regional Sales Manager for Assurity, about their careers in Voluntary Benefits – here’s what they had to say:

What brought you to the Voluntary Benefits industry?

KC - I worked for Colonial Life in Sales after attending Graduate school at Drexel I believe this industry finds you, not the other way around Losing my dad suddenly at 23 helped me to understand the value of life insurance for my mom and sisters Losing my little sister at 31 helped me to understand that things come at us unexpectedly, and the support we can give to one another helps us to shoulder and weather grief I love how Voluntary Benefits combines the two, both powerful solution sets and robust stories and listening to help support the humans in our care It makes me both proud and happy to be able to do this work for my career and vocation

KA - My focus in college was on Education but my job experience had always been in sales, when I interviewed with Aflac in 2010, I realized that I had found a career path that could weave together my passion for teaching with my competitive satisfaction of sales I loved the idea of a career that compensates based on the results of my efforts while letting me help people

KN - My parents sent me to Drake University in Des Moines Iowa to study actuarial science I had no idea what that was at the time, but math came very easy to me I found accounting/finance to be too boring and repetitive, so I accepted a job at Meredith Corporation which was a publishing company best known for Better Homes & Gardens and Ladies Home Journal I spent 14+ years in various roles including magazine production for Traditional Home Magazine, Renovation Style and Decorator Show House, book development/production for Quilt Lovers Favorites and BHG Cookbook, but spent most of my career focused on customer relationship marketing (CRM). While I enjoyed that very much, I moved back into the insurance industry knowing there was an opportunity to better educate consumers about insurance products available to them and here I am!

How have you been able to define yourself to get to where you are today?

KN - Hard work, the ability to think differently, fair, honest and ethical business practices in addition to grit and determination I’ve never been intimidated by “old school” thinking, I just keep pushing and ask for forgiveness later

KC - I was fortunate to start my journey with amazing mentors that instilled an initial key core belief that stuck, the only thing standing in between me and success was my ability or inability to handle the No’s and the faster you fail the faster you succeed and I really took that to heart I also believe that I have been able to succeed in my career due to my strong belief in these types of benefits and that we hold a responsibility to help an employee to protect their family in a time of need

KA - My success was never about me, my success is a byproduct of finding and developing the right people, believing in the importance of Voluntary Benefits, and a willingness to pick myself up after every stumble I have been able to define myself as a woman who refuses to give up, who is fiercely focused on making a positive difference (even in a small way) for others

Kerry Connor (KC), National Voluntary Benefits Practice Leader for Epic Brokers

What is your favorite aspect of our industry?

KA - My favorite thing about our industry is the difference that Voluntary Benefits can make in the lives of those around us: the impact on an employer struggling to offer or enhance a benefits package, the value brought to employees who are one catastrophic event away from bankruptcy, and the life changing career it offers to those that want to step up to the plate

KC - I am passionate about this industry because I understand how the gaps in traditional plans can impact employees and their families Voluntary Benefits is a key piece of the benefits story that we can create to help an employee to feel seen, valued and understood, by offering a solution set that leans into DEI to customize a solution that makes sense for that person, right in this moment in time

I would be remiss if I did not mention that my two kids are huge role models for me They have a keen ability to call me out on my own stuff and make me laugh at myself while they do and have helped me to become a kinder gentler person

KA - I have been lucky enough to work with so many amazing people over the last decade, but there is one amazing person who has always been a role model to me and that is Lisa Hall who has served in Voluntary Benefits since 1999 She has been a role model for me for many years and taught me the importance of finding the good in any situation and what it means to be successful in this industry as a female

Karrie Nelson (KN), Principal, Voluntary Benefit Center of Excellence Leader for Mercer

What are ways that you have worked on developing your leadership skills?

KN - I have always led by example Do the right things for the business and take care of my people – it’s that simple

KC - I completely enjoy being immersed in learning something new and surrounding myself with very smart people fires up my energy like nothing else can I have taken many classes and have read books by Simon Sinek, Brene Brown, Wayne Dyer, TED, Amy Cuddy, to name a few

What advantages do you believe females bring to our industry?

KA – I have found that females in this industry have the ability to mold to a situation, relate to a client with empathy, and work tremendously hard with extreme efficiency. I believe that women are just as capable as men in this business and just need to have confidence in what they bring to the table in this industry.

KN - I think we listen better and leave egos aside, and that we are more considerate and nurturing. We also bring a different point of view and challenge traditional ways of thinking.

Do you have a mentor or role model that has motivated you?

KC - I have been incredibly fortunate to have had many fantastic role models in my career, and these humans believed in me and always saw something that I may have not been fully aware of at the time They’ve also assisted in my evolution towards becoming a more self-aware and less focused “Me” person and more attuned “We” person Cathy Good, Erin Stalker, Gary Davis, Ed Sutton, Craig Hasday, Nick Bellanca, Bob Butera, Dave Hurlock, Joe Kozub, Dawn Leusner

KN - Every boss I’ve had has motivated me. I try to learn what I can from them and share that knowledge with others.

What advice would you give to women just starting out in Voluntary Benefits?

KC - I would say “Don’t be afraid to cannonball into the Pool, but don’t jump onto someone’s head while you do”. The downside is you might get a few people wet, but by the time anyone realizes you are bound to have created some amazing ripples, rather than standing back and waiting for your turn, because waiting often turns into inaction or fear to take a chance.

KA - I would tell them to find other women in the business to connect with and learn from. Build a support system of likeminded and fiercely focused females to grow with. My biggest advice for anyone new in this business is… just don’t quit.

KN - Find someone you respect and be vulnerable. Ask questions, stay determined and work smarter than your peers.

Katie Anderson (KA), Regional Sales Manager for Assurity

What are ways you are helping other women in this industry?

KA - I’m an advocate for females in this business and a champion of women succeeding in the industry I volunteer as Membership President for the Women of Insurance organization, and I have a book releasing at the end of 2023 for women in worksite I have created programs educating women and young adults on the career opportunities within our industry that can change their lives personally and professionally I believe that women in insurance need to have a voice in this industry, to stand up for themselves, and can learn to find strength in themselves to accomplish anything they want to achieve in this business

As you can see, our industry is full of amazing leading ladies who are helping to drive innovation and change the way we do business For anyone just entering the Voluntary Benefits industry, take a look around and find someone you admire – ask them if they would be open to mentoring you For those of us in the industry already, lets continue to grow as a community, look out for each other and build each other up For the men out there, when you see an opportunity to promote a deserving female, do it, and step up when you see a female not being treated fairly We all work best when we work together!

Katie Anderson (KA) is a Regional Sales Manager with Assurity, and has worked in Sales and Sales Leadership for 20+ years and in the insurance industry since 2010 In her current role, she oversees the six Rocky Mountain States helping brokers with worksite strategy and implementation of Voluntary Benefits She volunteers as Membership President for the Women of Insurance, which is an organization helping women in the industry find support across the country and assists with training and development Katie is also a certified John Maxwell Team member, certified by DISC, and CECI and loves learning She is a coauthor of the book “Winning Sales Attitudes”, and her first solo book will be released in 2023

Kerry Connor (KC) is the National Voluntary Benefits Practice Leader for Epic Brokers, based in the Philadelphia area She has 20+ years of experience in Voluntary Benefits and most recently worked at Genomic Life Prior to that, she owned an enrollment firm, which was sold after 15 years to a top-100 bank. Kerry has also served as a national director of sales at two leading cybersecurity companies.

Karrie Nelson (KN) Principal, Mercer Voluntary Benefits. Karrie leads the Voluntary Benefits Center of Excellence, including product management and brokerage functions. In her role, Karrie negotiates and executes voluntary carrier/vendor agreements, manages RFP activity and templates, resolves escalation issues for clients, and coordinates new product development activities, including internal training across the business. Prior to joining Marsh McLennan in 2012, Karrie managed ancillary products (Dental, Vision and Life) for Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa and South Dakota. Before that, she spent more than 14 years with Meredith Corporation, a leading media and marketing company, where she managed some of the most complex integrated customer relationship management programs In that role, Karrie focused on strategy, program development and innovation, resulting in the execution of measureable, high-impact and award-winning consumer communications