Vice president and private equity practice leader-Southeast

Lockton Cos. L.L.C.

Age: 35

Don't be afraid to work hard, don't be afraid to challenge yourself — it's how you'll get farther in your career.

That's Josh Mikels' advice for succeeding in any field. Once a year, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based broker speaks to students at Florida State University, his alma mater, about what to expect in the business world after graduation.

Mr. Mikels' undergraduate degree is in education, which he feels gives him a great foundation to be a confident speaker, leader and mentor in his current position with Lockton Cos. L.L.C.

“Most people don't realize that a degree in education has much application outside of the classroom, but that background was a great segue to what I do now,” he said.

Mr. Mikels began his career in the insurance industry in 2004 after earning a master's degree in economics. That has been an asset and part of what drew him to the insurance field, along with the fact that he enjoys working with people rather than looking at numbers all day.

Now, Mr. Mikels uses his degree in education to provide Insurance 101 training for his private equity clients.

Mr. Mikels gets much of his satisfaction from seeing his team prosper and grow.

“I'm most proud when people on my team get promoted or get their own awards or recognition. At Lockton, it is all about being a part of a team. I have so much pride for my team, what they've accomplished and what they will continue to accomplish in their careers, which goes back to my days in education; watching students grow and learn, that applies here as well.”

“Josh is a very astute, sharp broker who uses analytics to help our clients make decisions, and he works at a very rapid pace,” said Steve Montgomery, Charlotte-based vice president at Lockton and Mr. Mikels' colleague.

Barbara F. Walton, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Sanford, North Carolina-based yarn maker Frontier Spinning Mills Inc., said Mr. Mikels is “the kind of person that you want to do business with.”