2015 40 Under 40 Broker Awards: Josh Fagin

Josh Fagin

Senior vice president

Heffernan Group

Age: 39

Josh Fagin, Menlo Park, California-based senior vice president of Heffernan Group, enjoys the numbers crunching that comes with his job.

“I enjoy finance,” he said. “I really like crunching numbers, and there's a lot of analysis and math involved in this job, especially as you get into more complex program structures. I just really enjoy it.”

“I don't like simple risks,” he confessed. “l like more complex issues, so I can really think through the program structure.”

Mr. Fagin said he also enjoys learning about how his clients' business works and “seeing in my piece of the equation how I can add value.”

Mr. Fagin is particularly proud of his 95% client retention rate. “It's kind of a stamp of approval, because it's a very competitive industry out there,” he said.

“I'm a loyal guy,” said Mr. Fagin. “I see myself with Heffernan for my career and hopefully continuing to work with clients and also do more things on the sales management side,” as well as helping to develop the organization's talent.

Heffernan Executive Vice President John J. Tallarida, also based in Menlo Park, said Mr. Fagin “is one of the most focused, determined and disciplined people I have ever met.”

“It's really impossible to knock him off his line once he knows where he wants to go. He's very good about staying the course,” Mr. Tallarida said.

“A lot of potential sales people rely a lot on their personalities and their knowledge to open doors and find clients, and that's incredibly important, but behind that there's an underlying need for a real discipline about what basic steps you're taking to make sure success comes,” and Mr. Fagin is “very good at that,” said Mr. Tallarida. He is also “the funniest guy in the room,” he said.