WSIA’s U40: Forging future leaders

Now with approximately 1,300 members following the union of the former AAMGA Under Forty Organization (UFO) and NAPSLO’s Next Generation initiative, WSIA’s U40 group continues its efforts to encourage networking, relationship-building and education for the Surplus Lines industry’s future leaders.

Josh Ammons, current U40 President and Senior Vice President/Property for AmWINS Brokerage of the Carolinas LLC in Charlotte, N.C., noted that there are currently 64 members of U40 participating in WSIA committees. That’s more than one-fifth of WSIA’s total committee volunteers.

For U40 members, Ammons said, volunteering to work on a committee is the best way to get involved, and an investment of time that pays personal and professional dividends. “That’s how I got my start,” he noted, adding how much he enjoys seeing up-and-comers get personally involved in the broader work done by WSIA for the benefit of the E&S industry and learn from industry veterans in the process.

Ammons explained how professionals who serve together on WSIA committees or collaborate on U40 projects and events may be competitors in the professional sense, “but when you’re working together for the benefit of the industry, you don’t see it that way.” U40, he added, provides an ideal way for young professionals to become engaged in the organization and forge relationships that often last for decades.

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Additional initiatives

U40 plans to further its leadership-development initiatives during its Annual Meeting, set for Oct. 28-31 at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. Nearly 180 attendees are expected at the event, which Ammons said will provide young Surplus Lines professionals “as robust and valuable an experience as possible,” offering education sessions and focusing on leadership skills, peer-to-peer conversations on issues impacting the industry, networking and team building.

In years to come, Ammons added, “we’re extremely passionate about moving the annual event forward.”

U40s other initiatives include free quarterly webinars for members, focusing on timely topics including wildfire exposure and the impacts of other natural catastrophes; networking receptions at WSIA industry events, including education programs and student symposiums during which U40s can interact with other industry professionals as well as with students who are pursuing RMI degrees; and education sessions at WSIA’s Annual Marketplace.

Ammons is, however, realistic about the financial considerations for firms as they consider sending team members to U40 events, and is keen on communicating U40’s value in order to illustrate the return on investment for those who might attend and for their firms.

“As a young leader in my firm, I have to be cognizant of the bottom line. Therefore, it’s important our U40 educational and networking events deliver high value in exchange for the investment our companies make in our professional development opportunities through U40.”

U40 also continues to focus on recruiting fresh talent into the industry, making campus visits and working in concert with WSIA’s Career Development committee. In 2017 the committee visited 19 different college campuses and reached 2,321 students and additional young people at Gamma Iota Sigma regional and national conferences.

Much like the E&S industry’s leading players, U40 is also focused on its philanthropic efforts. During one reception at WSIA’s Underwriting & Leadership Summit, U40 collected more than $27,500 in contributions to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This year the group will engage in a team-building activity in Lake Tahoe during the Annual Meeting, building bicycles for local youths.

“There’s no way I’d be where I am in my career had I not been involved in U40,” Ammons added. “There’s a tremendous amount of value in the education sessions and webinars, as well as the exposure it grants members to senior-level leaders in our business.”

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