Higginbotham has made leadership changes aimed at driving the brokerage’s business insurance operations. Company stalwart Chris Rooker (pictured left) will move up to president of business insurance, while John Schramm (pictured right) joins the team as chief operating officer of the division.
Rusty Reid, Higginbotham chair and chief executive, noted when the announcement was made: “As Higginbotham grows in every dimension across our platform, we knew we had to grow our leadership base as well. We’ve been fortunate to have Chris Rooker on our team for over 25 years, and we got to know and work with John Schramm during his time at CNA.
“These two guys are icons in North Texas. Putting them together to lead the division – with Chris as president and John as his right hand – makes so much sense.”
In their new capacities, the duo will be pivotal in fostering collaboration among producers throughout Higginbotham’s network. Their focus will be on the smooth integration of new partners for the benefit of clients.
Rooker commented: “I was honored to be part of the decision to bring John on board. He has the background and the technical expertise, but he’s also a seamless fit with our culture. He’s smart, moral, ethical – everything you want in a leadership role, and a terrific resource for our producers.
Schramm served as senior vice president and US field operations head at CNA prior to making the switch to Higginbotham.
“I got to know the Higginbotham people and see the culture up close while I was leading an underwriting group at CNA, and I can truly say there is no company I’m prouder to serve,” he declared. I watched them grow from just Texas to 17 states and 120 locations, and they’re still growing.
“Now that I’m here, I plan to do everything I can to integrate those producers, ensuring that they have the support they need to best serve their customers.”
Rooker added: “I am proud of what we’ve accomplished, and I’m happy with where we are today. But more than anything, I’m excited about our future. We’ve got energy and passion from new folks and knowledge and wisdom from us old-timers, and that’s a powerful mix.
“The future at Higginbotham is going to be bright.”
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