Smart Choice has announced leadership changes, appointing Andrew Caldwell (pictured) as chief executive officer while founder Doug Witcher transitions to chairman of the board.
Caldwell has spent his entire career with Smart Choice, holding various roles including president, vice president, and director of commission accounting since joining the organization in 2003.
Reflecting on his career, Caldwell said: “My entire professional career has been with Smart Choice, and I have had the privilege of being mentored by Doug Witcher. We have been successful because we stayed true to our core value statement of giving agents the freedom to succeed.”
Caldwell’s promotion comes as Smart Choice reports strong business growth. Under his leadership as president over the past decade, the agency network expanded from approximately 3,800 partners to over 10,600.
During that time, Smart Choice’s annual revenue increased by more than 300%, and EBITDA rose by more than 1,200%. The company has completed more than 60 mergers and acquisitions totaling over $170 million in transaction value.
In 2024 alone, Smart Choice closed 15 acquisitions valued at more than $140 million, following a similar pace of deal-making reported earlier that year.
Alongside its acquisition strategy, the company achieved organic growth by adding 1,450 agencies to its network, marking the eighth consecutive year of onboarding more than 1,000 new agencies annually.
Caldwell said the expansion of the agency network last year is a testament of the company’s consistent focus on supporting independent agents.
“We are excited about our explosive growth last year and expect to continue this trajectory in 2025,” he said.
Smart Choice also broadened its carrier offerings in 2024, adding 12 new national partnerships designed to provide additional support for its member agencies.
Separately, the company strengthened its executive team with the appointment of Brandon Flinchum as chief financial officer. Flinchum previously worked at Forvis Mazars for roughly 20 years, including serving as managing director of the Triad assurance practice.
According to Caldwell, Flinchum’s familiarity with Smart Choice’s financials through prior engagements made him a strong fit for the CFO position.
Smart Choice operates as a program under the Worldwide Insurance Network, based in High Point, North Carolina. The network now supports over 10,000 agency partners across 48 states.
