2015 40 Under 40 Broker Awards: Kristi Whistle

Kristi Whistle

Senior vice president and client adviser

Marsh USA Inc., a unit of Marsh L.L.C.

Age: 34

Kristi Whistle knew she wanted to be in the business sector.

“I was an economics and business administration major, so I knew I wanted to do something in the business world but did not know exactly what that would be,” said Ms. Whistle.

“I thought the risk management/brokerage field was exciting because I would get to not only learn the insurance industry but get the opportunity to work with clients from various industries and get a chance to work across multiple industries and meet various types of people, which would really put my business degree to work well,” she said.

As it turns out, she was right, with the job's diversity her favorite part.

“I get to work with all types of companies. I work with restaurant clients, manufacturing clients, retail clients ... — everything from A to Z — and getting to know their businesses, gaining a deep understanding of their daily challenges, keeps my day interesting,” said Ms. Whistle.

And her quantitative business background has indeed helped her.

“A lot of my main contacts at the client level tend to be CFOs or financial departments, so being a numbers person works well when you are setting a meeting with those types of people,” said Ms. Whistle

Her clients and co-workers praise her dedication.

“Knowledge and personality,” said Donna Knies, treasury decision support analyst for Kimball International Inc. in Jasper, Indiana, of Ms. Whistle's key attributes.

Ms. Knies and her supervisors were impressed when Ms. Whistle stepped in for their account on short notice.

Ms. Whistle “is willing to completely immerse herself into whatever situation her clients are facing in order to develop an optimum solution,” said Derek Sheafer, senior vice president with Marsh USA's national brokerage division in Cincinnati.

Her tenacious advocacy for her clients “sets an excellent example for Marsh colleagues and the insurance industry as a whole,” said Mr. Sheafer.