2021 Break Out Awards NORTHEAST SOUTH MIDWEST WEST
STACIE KROLL Executive director, higher education practice
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
South Hadley, Massachusetts
Stacie Kroll joined Arthur J. Gallagher in 2020 to head up the broker’s higher education practice based at its Rolling Meadows, Illinois, headquarters after spending eight years in risk management for Five Colleges Inc., a consortium of Western Massachusetts colleges. The Navy veteran remains deeply committed to higher education and enjoys educating her clients in her new position.
What is your top tip for working remotely?
Time management. Through COVID we went from working from home to living at work. It’s so easy to just work nonstop and prioritize it over everything else. Set those boundaries … say, “This is the time I’m shutting off my computer and dedicating time to family.”
What’s your advice on navigating the current insurance market?
Communication — just being open and transparent throughout. Tell a story using the headlines to show how and why we got here. It helps people get level set that this is the current cost of doing business.
What should the industry do to attract more young people to work in it?
Internship programs, training programs, mentorship programs. We’re going to have a massive wave of seasoned leaders who are exiting the industry … and a lot of them are starting to think about succession planning. The key is to keep those young leaders engaged and get them up to speed on the technical and institutional knowledge that these seasoned leaders have.
What is something about you that would surprise people?
I’m a reality TV junkie. I love Bravo TV — “The Real Housewives,” “Vanderpump Rules” — I can’t get enough of it.
All-time favorite movie?
It’s probably a tie between “Shawshank Redemption” and “Wedding Crashers,” because “Shawshank Redemption” has the best characters and story arc, and “Wedding Crashers” is comedic gold.
