Executive Insights: Gorst & Compass President Bryan Clark

Even in the increasingly digital insurance business, great people skills dictate success, according to this industry veteran.

As an undergraduate in the business management program at San Diego State University, Bryan Clark never imagined spending decades of his life in the insurance industry. Then, a summer internship forever changed his career trajectory. “It’s been a lot of fun,” Clark says.

Not many people in today’s business world devote themselves to a single company over the course of their careers.

That’s just one thing that sets Bryan Clark apart from other professionals. This 24-year veteran of Gorst & Compass Insurance in Los Angeles started at the company as an intern and then worked his way up from an entry-level position to being one of the firm’s owners.

Clark also serves as vice president of the 2021 Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) board of directors.

The longtime Californian recently shared his hard-earned perspective on the insurance business with PropertyCasualty360.

PropertyCasualty360: Over the course of 24 years at Gorst & Compass, what has kept you engaged in the work?

Bryan Clark: I love the people. I like to say that it’s really not about insurance, it’s about the people. I love leading people and developing talent. If you do that, I think you’ll automatically grow the business. So just surround yourself with the right people. That’s really enabled us to grow. When I started, we were a smaller wholesaler. Now we’re really at that next level, and it’s been a lot of fun.

PC360: What do you see as the most significant changes between the time you got into the business as an intern and 2021?

Clark: The biggest change is how we’re leveraging technology to be able to do so much more. The speed to market, our ability to respond to the customer, respond to our carriers; that’s really been the biggest change. Also the data that’s available to us and what we can do with that data to make smart decisions to run our business, is a really significant change.

PC360: Given the digitalization of insurance processes, what skills do you think young people should have coming into the industry now?

Clark: I think what makes a successful broker-underwriter is their people skills. The more you can connect with people and create that rapport, you’re going to have more success to win business, write business and keep business on the books.

PC360: What is the best piece of career advice anyone ever gave you?

Clark: Treat everyone how you want to be treated.

PC360: What are you most looking forward to about WSIA’s 2021 Annual Marketplace?

Clark: It will just be good to get in front of people again, to see old friends and colleagues and business partners. I’m really looking forward to that.

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