When I say I am going to do something, you can count on me to do it. This mindset has propelled me in my career and has led me to become executive vice president and chief operating officer for Lockton’s Texas business. Lockton is the world’s largest privately held independent insurance broker & consultant. Our Associates have the expertise and resources to mitigate risk, provide employee benefits and retirement consulting. This is because at Lockton we hire Associates who are curious & committed to service so they can deliver the best results for our clients. We believe that a diversity of backgrounds leads to the best ideas due to differing perspectives which is why many of our Associates have legal, accounting, engineering and academic backgrounds. We truly listen to our clients and work to understand their business. This not only allows us to help them protect their people, property and reputation but also to help them meet their corporate objectives. With a 96 % client retention rate, 11 % higher than the industry average, clients turn to us because we help run their business as if it was our own.I helped one such company when most carriers didn’t fully understand their business and risk and thus didn’t want to take the risk obligations. After months of negotiations, I convinced the underwriters to fly across the country to the project site. Together with the underwriters & client, we toured the project, talked through the risks, & succeeded in placing a surety program for years. Before becoming COO, I spent more than 18 years working with companies to structure and place surety financial assurance capacity for private & public clients. When I am not leading Lockton’s Texas business, I enjoy the great outdoors. One of the neatest events I experienced, Rim-to-Rim, was in the Grand Canyon. As I said, when I say I am going to do something I do it; this included completing the 24-mile trek across rocky terrain in 11 hours with wonderful friends.