GEORGE SELLA | Age: 33 Senior vice president, principal and casualty broker

Brown & Riding Insurance Services Inc.

Atlanta

George Sella grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and when he studied managerial finance at the University of Mississippi he enjoyed his insurance class so much that he decided to add risk management and insurance as a double major. Recruited on campus by Brown & Riding, he started in the wholesaler’s Los Angeles office working on construction accounts and moved to Atlanta four years ago.

How will your work change going forward?

I don’t think that we’ll do away with face-to-face meetings because that’s still a critical part of the business, but you are starting to see more people be comfortable with Zoom calls and GoToMeeting. That’s a way for people to have face-to-face contact that you might not have had before, especially when you have a client in California and an insurance company in New York or Florida.

What should the industry do to attract more young people to work in it?

Focus on the college programs. You tend to learn more about personal lines insurance, you don’t really learn much about excess and surplus lines. If we can collectively as an industry focus in on educating the young students and recruiting out of risk management programs, you’d have a better funnel for young talent.

What do you know now that you wish you knew at 18?

Probably that I should listen to my parents and work hard in school. When I met my wife in college, it helped me refocus, and now that I have two little girls I realize that what my parents were saying all along was probably true.

All-time favorite movie?

A classic would be “The Godfather” trilogy, but right now all I really do is watch “Frozen” and “Moana.”

What is your favorite meal?

Seabass with some cream spinach.

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