Rachel DeGrand March 23, 2018 8 min read

My Path to HJI: Alex Bauer, Commercial Client Advisor

Welcome to the first post of our blog series: My Path to HJI. These are stories from associates on how they got started in insurance, what led them to their role at Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, and advice for others thinking about making a start in the industry.

This week's featured associate is Alex Bauer. Read on to learn more about Alex and connect with him on LinkedIn if you'd like!

Alex Bauer - Blog.jpg

What’s your role at Hausmann-Johnson Insurance (HJI)?

My role is “commercial client advisor,” which has been an outgrowth of our “commercial account manager” position. In addition to providing excellent day-to-day service for our clients, I discuss renewal strategy, make recommendations for changes and improvements, and generally help my clients understand their insurance program and its role in their business’s overall risk management goals.

What was your career path that led you to HJI and your current role?

Like many of us in this business, it was not originally in my thought process to consider insurance. My degree is in music education, and I worked in restaurants all through high school and college. When I quickly discovered that teaching wasn’t for me, I continued in hospitality, and managed a restaurant that had a stage, and booked the acts. After a few years of late nights doing that, and a desire to move back to Madison from Minnesota, I was looking for a day job. I knew a couple of people at HJI, and had heard of the good reputation of the company, so I took a shot in the dark, really. Mary Jo and Lynn and Kerry did a fine job of selling the company and the insurance industry to me when I interviewed, so I went for it, and took the job as a Commercial Lines Associate, our entry level customer service position. I found quickly that my education background was very helpful, and find it rewarding to help clients understand their insurance programs better. (Anyway, it is not that I didn’t like teaching, it’s that I didn’t like being a teacher). As the years have gone on and I have gained more knowledge, I have continued to add responsibility and take on more direct advisory/consultative roles, and I look forward to continuing my career here.

What do you wish you’d known when you were just starting out?

Anything about insurance? I guess that isn’t even accurate, since I have had great training and education along the way and didn’t need to come in with much knowledge. Really just the variety that you experience in this industry keeps you on your toes and keeps things interesting. There is always something new to learn. If I’d known that maybe I would have gotten here sooner!

What inspires you to come to work everyday?

Working with great people and great clients. Being able to learn new things and help people.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How does that influence what you are doing now?

As a child, I did not really know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had plenty of ideas cycle through, as most kids likely do. I eventually settled on music as my professional training. The dedication and practice required to master an instrument is very applicable in other areas of your life both professionally and personally. It helps you understand and give you the drive to be the best that you can possibly be.

What advice would you give someone thinking about going into insurance/starting their career?

Do it! Be open to all career paths in the business, and understand that it is not all sales. The sales people are only a small fraction of the overall insurance workforce, and you’ll be able to find something interesting to you.

Tell us a bit about yourself outside of work.

My wife Ashley and I just bought a house on the near-west side of Madison, and are attempting to figure out how to grow edible food in the back yard. In my nights and weekends, I use that earlier professional training and am a professional jazz and classical trombonist. I run and cycle quite a bit, read voraciously, and cook a lot. 

 


If you're thinking about pursuing a career in insurance, watch the Why an Insurance Career? video from the International Risk Management Institute

 

 

 

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Rachel DeGrand

Rachel joined Hausmann Group in 2015 and became Manager of Marketing Operations in 2018. In her role, she develops and implements marketing and advertising campaigns, oversees strategic events, and supports business development. She also organized the formation of the Community Impact Team at HG, which focuses on company-wide volunteering and community giving. Rachel has a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Grand Valley State University. She enjoys running year-round and participating in road races. She’s a member of the Business Volunteer Network and regularly volunteers for organizations such as United Way, Alzheimer’s Association, and the Ironman Foundation. Her favorite volunteer work is helping organize the annual fundraiser hosted by HG – Melody’s Hope for Children Tailgate.

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