2013 40 Under 40: Patrick Sheahan
Midwest Region Reprints
Managing director, insurance services
Mesirow Insurance Services Inc.
Age: 36
Patrick Sheahan recommends insurance as a career to any student graduating from college.
“It's a very rewarding industry. In my opinion, a lot of people don't understand insurance,” he said. “There are a lot of different avenues.”
In Mr. Sheahan's 14-year career, he has had a wide range of experiences. He has seen all aspects of the insurance industry from managing to servicing to producing.
He started his career as a marketing representative. “It was an excellent place to start because you worked with the insurance carriers. That allowed me to foster and gain relationships on the carrier side,” he said. “At a young age, it was kind of a unique position to be in.”
After that, he moved on to an insurance job in the construction industry where he managed a team of 18 people and a book of business.
Mr. Sheahan thinks he gained valuable experience and knowledge of the industry by not starting his career in insurance sales.
“People think a sales job is a sales job. With insurance there's a lot more to it. It's a lot more complex, and you really need to understand the coverages and nuances in each individual insurance program,” he said. “I took the long route. I wanted to learn the industry, the business. I wanted to learn what's important to clients.”
In his role at Mesirow Insurance Services Inc. in Chicago, Mr. Sheahan enjoys working with people and solving clients' problems.
One of his clients, Bryan Thomas, Danville, Ill.-based president, CEO and chairman of Cannon Cochran Management Services Inc., said Mr. Sheahan is dedicated, determined and a true professional.
“He's phenomenal with the details. Phenomenal with follow-up,” Mr. Thomas said.
