Welcome Shannon Suber - HNI Wisconsin's newest Account Manager. Shannon has spent over 15 years in Insurance and brings a wealth of knowledge from the Construction Industry. At HNI, she will be conquering a new industry (transportation) and is excited for the challenge to grow and learn something new.
You've spent 15 years in the insurance industry. What's the most important thing you've learned? Also, what's your favorite part?
It’s not stagnate. This industry is constantly evolving, almost reinventing itself, along the lines of a culture shift. The way we live and function as a society directly affects this industry. Nowadays, we do everything on our "Smart" phones, including banking and shopping, and our phones store our personal information. Should we lose our phone, we lose our lifeline and possibly our identity. As a result, Identity Theft coverage is now a major concern for many people. Commonly known companies Uber and Lyft were basically unheard of eight to nine years ago and now we have insurance companies offering Rideshare Insurance. These are just small examples of how technology and a changing culture moves the insurance industry. I think it’s exciting.
This is also my favorite part of the insurance industry. It is always changing. There is always room for growth, an opportunity to learn something new, and to familiarize yourself with ongoing industry updates.
What were you most surprised to learn about HNI?
Just how big HNI is on employee education - and it's not just your typical education, either. HNI focuses on the big picture and clues you in on what the company is focused on. This cross training allows their employees to really develop their skills and take a holistic approach to helping clients.
HNI believes that educated employees are better able to help clients de-risk business and find clarity.
How do you plan to spend your mandatory 1-week unplug?
Likely in Maryland visiting family and friends and hanging out in Washington D.C., as that’s where my husband is from; or we’ll keep it local, hang out and go to different restaurants we have yet to try.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I am a Fantasy Football fanatic, March Madness enthusiast, who LOVES Hello Kitty! My favorite teams for football include the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. For basketball - The Maryland Terrapins and Oregon Ducks.
Any advice for someone looking to get into insurance?
Insurance isn’t doom and gloom. There are many different areas in the industry people can go into: Safety, Sales, Underwriting, Training, Actuary (if you love working with numbers that much), Disaster Relief & Claims... the list goes on and on. There is so much education available out there for you to become knowledgeable in several industries or to focus on just one. You can really go anywhere or do anything you put your mind to, it takes hard work, but the sky’s the limit.
