2014 40 Under 40 Broker Awards: Jennifer Ackerman
Northeast Region Reprints
Vice president
The Safegard Group Inc.
Age: 34
Jennifer Ackerman's road to her insurance industry career was serendipitous.
A summer job at an insurance agency between her junior and senior years in college led to a full-time job offer upon graduation in 2002 at the Peterman Group in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania.
“I took the position and kind of never left” the industry, she said.
Joining The Safegard Group Inc. in 2004 continued her good fortune as it gave her a chance to build business.
“What appealed to me was that it was a growing company and entrepreneurial in a way, and I could basically make my own way,” said Ms. Ackerman of her trajectory at the Media, Pennsylvania, company.
There was building to do, and she had come at the right time.
“I think there will always be building to do,” she said.
“It's a neat organization in that way, in that there's always new challenges and new things we can tackle,” she said, adding that she was interested in both generating business as well as helping to build an organization structurally.
“I always knew I wanted to have some management responsibility,” she said of her role in helping to build and manage Safegard.
Safegard does a lot of construction cover, according to Ms. Ackerman, who said the sector may make up 50% or more of her book of business.
“I think construction is one of those areas where you can't just dabble in it. You need to have an understanding of what it is and what the exposures are to be able to really handle your clients appropriately.”
Her “initiative and leadership” were praised by William Donato, president and CEO of Safegard.
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