There’s something about Austin, Texas, that fosters collaboration and creativity, making it the perfect setting to step away from the calls, meetings, and deadlines of daily work and learn from successful peers.
That’s what the Connect Summit is all about. Connect is an executive peer exchange program for firms who believe in learning from the high-performing leaders who have gone before them. The Connect Summit is an invite-only, membership event that gives firms the opportunity to dive into firm-specific data and financials with their Strategic Issues Groups (SIGs) as part of the peer exchange. The event is intended to help hold peers accountable to the action items each firm has selected, to improve their business, and to drive change within their organizations.
Here are some of the highlights from this fall’s event:
The state of the industry: Build the firm you would buy
MarshBerry CEO John Wepler provided an in-depth analysis of the current trends shaping the insurance brokerage industry. He noted that uncertainty continues to be fueled by fluctuating interest rates, persistent inflationary pressures, and geopolitical risks. Against this backdrop, organic growth among public brokerage firms has slowed for several consecutive quarters, a trend that has now extended to private firms. Even top-performing agencies have experienced a decline, with organic growth among the highest-performing firms (“Best 25%”) dropping from 16.1% to 13.1% (as of 6/30/26).
While several factors are contributing to this slowdown, Wepler emphasized that non-producing producers remain one of the greatest obstacles to growth. To address this challenge, agency leaders must shift their perspective from thinking like owners to thinking like investors. According to Wepler, investment-grade firms consistently generate organic growth, maintain strong profitability and durable earnings, and build sustainable long-term value.
He outlined several key characteristics of high-performing firms, including a repeatable sales engine, a disciplined producer management system, specialized capabilities, and an adaptable operating model. Together, these elements provide a blueprint for long-term success in an increasingly complex marketplace.
Keynote Speaker: Bridging the gap between technology and business impact
Sol Rashidi, the world’s first Chief AI Officer, delivered a keynote focused on practical strategies for adopting AI, driving meaningful results, and preparing the workforce. She emphasized that while AI is often viewed as a transformative solution, most organizations remain in the experimentation phase. Rashidi shared several key lessons for organizations looking to maximize the value of AI, including being intentional about where AI is applied. Before implementing a new AI solution, leaders should ask whether it is simply adding another tool to the technology stack or fundamentally improving a process, driving growth, or creating measurable business value.
Rashidi stressed the importance of validating outputs to ensure accuracy, compliance, and alignment with organizational goals. As organizations increasingly rely on similar AI tools and prompts, the risk of producing generic results grows. Incorporating proprietary expertise, business context, and brand perspective is essential to creating differentiated outcomes. Rashidi concluded with a reminder that successful AI adoption should be human-led and AI-supported.
State of the agency: Strengthen board effectiveness to protect and grow enterprise value
During the State of the Agency address, Brooke Liu, MarshBerry Senior Vice President, explored the critical role governance plays in managing risk, improving decision-making, and driving long-term organizational performance. At the center of effective governance is a Board of Directors, which provides oversight, accountability, and strategic direction. However, according to MarshBerry’s 2026 Technology & Corporate Governance Report, only 34% of firms have established a formal board structure.
Liu emphasized that a Board of Directors, or a designated executive committee, can help agencies make more informed decisions on strategic planning, budgeting, mergers and acquisitions, technology investments, and other key business initiatives. She also discussed the value of including independent voices beyond ownership and the insurance industry. Community leaders, respected business executives, and subject matter experts can provide fresh perspectives and specialized expertise.
Actionable insights at the intersection of technology and risk
During a fireside chat with Christina Lucas, Global Director at Google Cloud, Brooke Liu explored how AI is reshaping the insurance industry amid a period of unprecedented technological change. The discussion highlighted both the strengths of the U.S. insurance distribution model and emerging global trends. Lucas noted that U.S. agencies and brokerages are uniquely positioned to serve diverse client needs, advocate on behalf of customers, and scale from small businesses into large enterprises. Internationally, growing emphasis on longevity, wellness, and prevention is driving insurers to evolve from product providers into trusted advisors that deliver education and ongoing value.
AI is accelerating this transformation by enabling more personalized client engagement, targeted marketing, and data-driven sales strategies. Looking ahead, Lucas cautioned that cybersecurity threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated and require a proactive, continuously evolving defense strategy. At the same time, AI is creating significant opportunities across risk selection, pricing, portfolio management, and disaster preparedness. Perhaps its greatest long-term value, she noted, lies in preserving institutional knowledge, helping firms retain critical expertise for future generations of employees and leaders.
MAX Performer winners discuss talent, leadership, and culture
During a panel discussion, the 2025 MAX Performer Regional Winners shared strategies behind their success, with talent and leadership emerging as key themes. Several firms emphasized the importance of making difficult talent decisions, including parting ways with underperformers or even high performers who are not aligned with the organization’s culture. Panelists also highlighted the value of individuals who create institutional impact by elevating the performance of those around them and enhancing the client experience. On the leadership front, one firm credited strong leadership alignment with improving decision-making and business outcomes, while others stressed the importance of accountability, coaching, and developing future leaders.
Another major takeaway was the importance of creating an intentional culture. Panelists described fostering environments built on trust, open dialogue, healthy conflict, and accountability. Together, these efforts helped create clearer direction, stronger performance, and a foundation for long-term growth.
Taking time away from being “in” the business, to work “on” the business can offer fresh perspectives and challenge leaders to new heights. Empowered by the unity and knowledge of their peers, insurance executives work diligently to chart their path, cultivate growth and realize their future.
Enhance Impact: Collaboration, networking and optimizing resources
The Connect Summit is thoughtfully designed to amplify the attendee experience through engagement with members and forward-thinking SIG sessions, all aimed at optimizing firm growth. Stepping away from the day-to-day to reflect and learn allows for a renewed perspective. Members, save the date for the next Connect Summit from April 13 – 15, 2027in Carlsbad, CA. If you’re not a member and are interested in how your firm can out-perform, out-earn, and outlast the competition, learn more here.
