THE CHANGING FACE OF THE INDEPENDENT AGENT
Heather Dougherty's career path has taken her from
tele-sales to agency senior vice president
By Elaine Tolen
Since Heather Dougherty joined The Flanders Group in 1988, her career has paralleled the agency's growth. She began in the agency's newly created workers compensation department as a tele-salesperson; she is now a senior vice president (and top producer) who oversees the $43 million (premium) department.
"I continually reach for the next level--to see what I can do to improve my relationship with clients and companies and how I can expand our programs."
--Heather Dougherty
During one week in 1988, two events occurred that would change Heather Dougherty's life--she was hired at The Flanders Group and she met the man who would become her husband. "I didn't know either would be so permanent!" Heather says.
The year before that, Heather graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, with a degree in economics. She decided to move to Rochester with college friends. "I didn't know what I wanted to do in terms of a career and didn't have much work experience, but I knew I didn't want to move home" to Reading, Pennsylvania, Heather explains. "I had good internal confidence and knew that I would be good at whatever I chose."
During her first few months in Rochester, Heather did temporary work while investigating career options. Knowing that Heather wanted a more challenging job and career, her supervisor at the temp agency told her about an opening at the insurance agency where the supervisor's son-in-law worked. Shortly after that, Heather was hired at The Flanders Group.
Heather was the only person in the agency's relatively new workers compensation department, which consisted of "two fledgling safety groups. I was hired as a tele-sales person and did everything from selling policies to invoicing to collections," she recalls. "It was a great way to learn the business, and it has equipped me to help employees handle problems that crop up."
Three years after she joined The Flanders Group, "business really started taking off" in the workers compensation department. Heather expanded her sales knowledge through training with the Sandler Sales System and The Sitkins Group. The agency also began using personnel profiling including Kolbe testing. This testing helps employees identify their areas of strength in order to work more efficiently and productively. "The Kolbe tests pointed out areas that are not my strong suit, which helped me better define my job. We were starting to grow a team of employees, and I was able to give some of my tasks to others who were strong in those areas so I could do what I do best."
Heather, at home with her husband, Chris Duerr, and their children: Taylor, age seven (upper left), and four-year-old twins, Ben (upper right) and Will.
Part of what Heather does best is pursuing and maintaining relationships with potential and current clients. Besides being the agency's highest-volume producer, Heather serves as senior vice president, heading up the workers compensation department. In this capacity, she handles agency relationships with New York City brokers, the New York State Insurance Fund (their safety group's underwriter), the agency's third-party administrator (Risk Management Planning Group), as well as other Flanders Group consultants such as Cumberland Consulting and the Institute of Work Comp Advisors.
High profile/high performance
As a result of Heather's tenacity, the workers compensation department has grown to include five safety groups, 10 employees, and a premium volume of $43 million. Heather is the "Producer Champion" for the real estate group which, representing $35 million in premium, is the department's largest safety group. This group is comprised of the agency's largest and highest-profile clients. These clients include the Helmsley hotels, the Empire State Building, some Trump-owned properties, and many other well-known New York companies. One of the agency's clients is Silverstein Management, leaseholder of the World Trade Center. The Flanders Group provides workers compensation for Silverstein's employees and handled claims resulting from the September 11 tragedy.
Many of Heather's clients are in New York City, and she has been making weekly flights there for the past 10 years. She had just been in New York City on September 6, 2001, meeting with Silverstein to discuss transitioning the newly acquired Trade Center's workers compensation program from the New York Port Authority to The Flanders Group. "When I heard about the attacks on September 11, I thought about being in meetings on the 104th floor of Tower Two just days before." She knew the World Trade Center well, since The Flanders Group did business with several NYC brokers who had offices there. "I had my favorite lunch spot," Heather recalls. "We knew a lot of people in those buildings."
Secrets of her success
Heather's achievements at The Flanders Group have not gone unnoticed. Two years ago at the age of 34, Heather was honored in the Rochester Business Journal's "40 Under 40," which recognizes 40 professionals who have reached a high level of success and community contributions before the age of 40.
She credits her success to agency principal Chris McVicker. "He had the vision to see where I would best fit in the agency. He and I have a very comfortable working relationship," Heather explains. Also, she says, "The agency has a very developed Client Relationship Management (CRM) system. We have a great team and 'service handoff' which allows me to concentrate on 'big picture' tasks like working with clients and potential clients."
In addition to clients and prospects, Heather is responsible for maintaining other agency relationships. "It is pivotal that I maintain a good relationship with the State Insurance Fund people," Heather says. "I have to be in tune to their needs and desires and be able to communicate well as I negotiate with them." Eight years ago, The Flanders Group brought in a TPA to assist with claims handling. Heather is responsible for maintaining the day-to-day expectations of this relationship. Heather also works with various consultants whom the agency retains. "We are constantly searching for additional resources because 'we don't know what we don't know,'" she explains.
To differentiate the agency from others that offer workers compensation, Heather says: "We find ways to add value to the relationship. Workers compensation looks like a relatively simple line and, in fact, is sometimes treated as an 'add-on.' So we offer additional services to our clients, like helping them with payroll audits, overseeing the reserving on claims, experience modification management, and policy oversight. Before renewal, we go through a stewardship report with them to make sure we've lived up to the promises we have made--and exceeded their hopes." According to Heather, the agency's emphasis on client relationship has resulted in no loss of workers compensation accounts due to service shortfalls.
Family ties
As Heather's career has grown over the last 13 years, so has her family. She and her husband, Chris Duerr, have three children: Taylor, age seven, and twin boys, Ben and Will who are four. Add this to Heather's fast-paced profession and the mix could be pretty stressful. She says though that it "hasn't been that hard. Everyone has a different threshold of what they can handle. We also have a stable home life--my husband is very supportive and both of our mothers live nearby. Since Chris is a partner in an architectural/engineering company, his schedule is a little more flexible. Also, knowing the kids are happy and healthy makes it easier for me to focus on my job."
Job and family commitments don't leave a lot of extra time for Heather. "You really have to look at your free time and decide what other activities are worthwhile," she says. Her community involvements have included serving on the board of Camp Good Days and Special Times, Inc., a charity for children with cancer and other serious illnesses, and volunteering at her children's schools. She is also the leader of her daughter's Girl Scout troop, which is a way for Heather and Taylor to spend additional time together.
Another important dimension of Heather's life outside the office is running. Over the past few years, running has become a "big part of who I am," explains Heather, who runs three to four miles four or five nights a week, after her children are in bed.
Besides the obvious health benefits, Heather says, running "is one of the biggest stress relievers. It helps me clear my thinking and as I run I sort through things--like how to handle a problem at the office or what to say to a prospect. Sometimes after a run I'll come home and call my voice mail at work because I've figured something out." Earlier this year, Heather ran her first half-marathon (13.1 miles).
Continuing to grow
Heather's career goals include a variety of annual financial and performance-related goals. For instance, her goal for new business revenue in 2002 is $100,000. As of July 1, she had met 133% of that goal.
In the future, Heather sees herself building on the success that she has already created at The Flanders Group. "I continually reach for the next level--to see what I can do to improve my relationship with clients and companies and how I can expand our programs. What I do (managing an exclusive program) is different than the typical producer because my role goes beyond new business production and retention. I plan to continue this for the rest of my life." *