Meet HawkSoft Employees with Insurance Experience - Product Support & Customer Success

It’s time for the next piece in our blog and social media series featuring employees at HawkSoft who have years of experience in the insurance industry prior to coming to HawkSoft. Our company is proud to have many employees across different teams who have real-life experience at agencies, carriers, and more. If you missed our previous pieces featuring a few members from our Client Services team and Sales & Marketing teams, don’t forget to check them out!

When employees have a background in the field, they can better understand our customers’ needs, empathize with their issues, and keep the voices of independent agencies at the forefront of everything we do.

This month we’re highlighting some leaders from our Product Support and Customer Success teams, who work with customers every day. Take a look at what they have to say about their industry experience and how it helps them in their current roles at HawkSoft!

HawkSoft team members in this spotlight:

• John – Product Support Department Manager
• Jake – Director of Product Support
• Christine – Customer Success Manager
  
  

Describe your insurance experience

John: I worked for a Farmers Insurance Service Point for over 6 years. During that time I was in Personal Lines (Auto/Home) and became a Senior Customer Service Rep, focused on manual premium adjustments and billing breakdowns. I also got my certification in AIS (Associate in Insurance Services).

Jake: I managed IT and automation at an insurance agency for a year. After that I became a licensed insurance agent for Property & Casualty and Life & Health and spent four years selling and serving personal lines at a full-service insurance agency. During this time, I also helped the agency with some of their automation and IT needs, helping in the decision to move from our previous management system to HawkSoft.

Christine: Prior to coming to HawkSoft, I was an agency principal of an insurance agency. The first 13 years I was a captive agent with Allstate, and then went independent for an additional 13 years. Making the change to the independent channel allowed us to better serve our customers by having more options for them. Our agency was committed to serving our community and making a difference. We supported our local high school, attended community events, and won the honor 3 years in a row from Safeco for their "Make More Happen" award to provide $5,000 for Save the Family Foundation in our state.

1 Christine (middle) presenting the Safeco "Make More Happen" award and $5,000 donation to Save the Family Foundation at a Diamondbacks Game.

2 Christine (left) with her agency team members at a dinner celebration.

3 Christine enjoying a whale watching trip in Maui.

How has your insurance experience helped you in your role at HawkSoft?

John: It helped me understand the workings of insurance and how rate changes are affected by demographics and where you live, not just individual habits.

Jake: I was able to learn and appreciate the value of relationships, which I strongly believe is very important in any career. I was also introduced to HawkSoft as a customer who was ready for and looking for additional opportunities. Working in insurance taught me joy and value of relationships and the importance of detail.

Christine: During college, I went to work for a State Farm agent. Little did I know all the doors that would open and the career path I would follow by being introduced to the insurance industry. I loved building relationships, educating and advocating for my clients. During my time as an independent agency, we used HawkSoft as our management system. The combination of my knowledge of HawkSoft and the agency environment has been instrumental in my role of Customer Success Manager at HawkSoft.

1 John (middle) on a trip to the beach with family.

2 John (right) playing the keyboard with his local band.

3 John taking a walk with his wife.

What is your favorite thing about the insurance industry?

John: Knowing that in most cases, insurance is there to help us recover what we lost and get back to a place where we can move forward again.

Jake: The people and communities! There are wonderful people across the nation. I especially appreciated the rural community that I served as a licensed agent. I love the value this industry places on relationships, and the opportunity it provides to meet so many wonderful people across the industry and in our own communities.

Christine: I love working with people, building relationships, and learning to adjust to the ever-changing world of insurance. Agencies are dealing with market conditions that are unprecedented which I can relate to and want to share features available in HawkSoft to assist them as they maneuver through these times.

1 Jake at a charity event with his wife.

2 Jake with his family.

3 Jake with Bessie, the HawkSoft purple cow, at an industry event.

What are your hobbies or passions?

John: Music and family!

Jake: I love spending time with my family, wife, and two kids. Outside of the home I enjoy volunteering for my church, having spent the last five years planning, leading, and carrying out week-long camps for teenage boys.

Christine: I am a travel enthusiast and love to be outdoors! I equally enjoy the mountains and the beach. My favorite trip is Maui during whale season - I could literally spend hours out on the water watching these majestic mammals.