2017 Break Out Awards, Midwest: Mike Hessling
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MIKE HESSLING
Chief client officer
Gallagher Bassett Services Inc.
Rolling Meadows, Illinois
Age: 39
Mike Hessling’s work ethic and commitment to customer service began at a young age as a newspaper carrier for the Washington Post. These values have transcended his academic and professional career including qualifying as a CPA and gaining an MBA, then working as a consultant, first at Bridge Strategy Group and then at Bain & Co., where he served as a manager and later principal. In 2012, he joined Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. as chief client officer.
Best advice you’ve been given
The best advice is to constantly seek and be open to feedback. The whole concept of you can always get better and regardless of whatever level you are at in an organization, the best news you can get is the news that people are willing to share with you.
Top industry concern
From my vantage point, it would be complexity. Risk managers are being tasked more and more to deliver results with fewer resources. That puts a lot of pressure on them and requires them to really work well with brokers, carriers and TPAs, but what it also means is you’ve got to filter through increasing amounts of information and white noise with respect to different services, solutions, etc. and try to really discern what’s real vs. what’s marketing.
How do you unwind?
My wife and I have five children, so I come home and they do a pretty good job of getting me grounded very quickly. In terms of a more selfish and guilty pleasure, I’m a big “Seinfeld” fan, so I have to catch at least a couple reruns of “Seinfeld” every day in order to unwind. Twenty years later it’s still a really relevant show.
Hobbies and interests
I’m a big fan of retro video games and pinball machines. And I’m an avid music fan, so if you’re ever doing music trivia or name that tune and the genre is 1965 to 1995, I’m your guy.
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2017 Break Out Awards
Business Insurance’s Break Out Awards program honors 40 top professionals on track to be the next leaders in the risk management and property/casualty insurance field.
