Broker of the Year Finalist on the Hard Market

The list of finalists for the Cansure Insurance Broker of the Year at the 2020 Insurance Business Awards was packed with top performers in the broking industry – and among them was Sheri Clay (pictured), director of private client services at Vancouver-based JT Insurance Services.

While the broker is at the top of her game in this industry now and has spent 15 years at her current firm, she got vital experience working in a completely different space before joining JT Insurance. For a decade, Clay worked for CruiseShipCenters, the largest cruise franchise operator in Canada, where she held the role of VP – executive services. Her experience translated well to her role at JT Insurance.

“As a member of the management team that was responsible for the growth to over 4,500 cruise consultants, I have been utilizing my experience to guide the aggressive growth plans of JT Insurance,” said Clay.

She initially joined JT Insurance in 2005 and was in charge of the administrative functions necessary for the day-to-day operations of the brokerage, including supervising and coordinating policy development, brokerage operational activities, and the implementation of compliance/regulatory policy directives, as well as assisting with JT Insurance’s in-house Lloyd’s facilities.

Nonetheless, “While I enjoyed the organizational aspect of this role, I really missed personal interaction with clients,” Clay told Insurance Business. “I moved into our personal lines department and found my niche with high net worth and ultra-high net worth clientele.”

Clay says she loves working with JT Insurance clients to advise, protect, and advocate for them. In the meantime, she’s attained her CAIB designation and discovered that while insurance wasn’t her first career choice, the more she’s learned about the industry and engaged with its people, she can honestly say that she loves her job and the career trajectory she’s on. Clay has also taken on other educational opportunities to expand her horizons.

“In addition to CAIB, I attended the Wharton School of Business and attained my CAPI (Certified Advisor of Personal Insurance) designation. There are only a small number of Canadian brokers who have achieved this exclusive designation,” she said. “It is critical to always continue learning. In order to be a good broker, you must be your client’s advisor and you cannot do that without industry knowledge.”

Clay has continued learning and sharing her knowledge by taking part in numerous industry panels regarding changing market conditions, such as the earthquake market in British Columbia, as well as conversations focused on career advice and building a business. “On every occasion, I have learned something new from other panellists,” she explained. “It is interesting and insightful to hear everyone’s individual points of view.”

The expertise that Clay has developed over her 15 years in the insurance industry has served her well in today’s tough marketplace, which is testing insureds, brokers, and carriers alike.

“The current hard market, COVID-19, work-from-home, the deteriorating economy, and political uncertainty all impact my work and that of my clients,” said Clay. “These are challenging times and a good broker uses their skills, knowledge, and discipline to perform what is required for their clients.”

She continued: “I said to our team at the beginning of this crisis that how we handle ourselves during the crisis will inform our brand after the crisis is over. I am very proud of how quickly our team has risen to the challenge, differentiating our value proposition in a very positive way and exemplifying what it means to be ‘JT Advised.’”