You’re here for a very specific reason: to provide the best possible experience for our clients and our teammates. Your desire to make an impact, and enthusiasm to do so as a part of our vibrant team, makes you a perfect fit. Our mission and vision drive us to innovate and improve, and you will become an invaluable contributor in our effort to achieve those goals.
Together, we work hard for our clients and employees. Developing meaningful, long-lasting relationships is in our DNA. We work hard, and we have fun. Culture is key, and we’re not willing to compromise on our values.
We’re passionate about building something great, and we think you are too.
Let’s make it happen.
It all started at Kohort, Mark’s first ventured-backed startup. The company had just raised a significant seed round and investors required that the company get D&O insurance (whatever that meant!). As we went through the process of obtaining coverage, it became abundantly clear how big of a pain in the ass it was to buy the necessary insurance for a growing startup. It was also nearly impossible to find a broker who understood that fax machines are a thing of the past, or what it meant to raise a seed round as a technology company. After months of back and forth, and no shortage of time-consuming and confusing paperwork, we finally got our policy. But there had to be a better way.
We created Founder Shield just a few years later to accomplish one goal: to create a seamless and intuitive insurance purchasing experience for business owners. We had no revenue, no funding, and no customers, and nothing to lose. Armed with a few hypotheses and plenty of elbow grease, we started selling. Carl and I started by sneaking into different WeWorks around the city and asking founders, “Where do you guys get insurance? Have you heard anything about this company Founder Shield?” Several WeWork visits, countless startup events, and thousands of cold emails and later, we had an ever-growing prospect list.
We hacked together our first real website in April 2013 sitting on the couch in the Alley Midtown location after NY Tech Day that morning. Our first “web application” came shortly thereafter. It was built on seamlessdocs, a tech product developed by our friends down the hall at the Alley. Despite it’s clunkiness, our clients loved it and we had proof of concept. We quickly realized we were on to something big, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Founder Shield blossomed into an ever-growing syndicate of insurance brokerages, held together by the Shield.Insure family. This family consists of an ever-growing roster of the best and brightest people, all working together to provide the best experience for our customers and each other. As long as we support each other and work hard, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish.
Know your strengths and weaknesses, and use good judgement.
Take any opportunity to learn something new.
Do more with less.
Learn from them, and use them as motivation to improve.
Everyone is equal.
A positive environment leads to a happier life.
Results matter more than the number of hours we work.
Regardless of your department, the core goal of your role is to provide our clients with the best possible service in purchasing insurance. Every member of every department plays a crucial role in making the client experience as seamless as possible in order to ensure continued satisfaction and retention.
As members of our renewals team, the Customer Success folks are responsible for managing and maintaining current client relationships. These are the guys and gals who are truly defining the customer experiencing by providing continuous guidance and support, and consulting with our clients to purchase the right coverage as they scale their companies. It is the “go-to department” for all client inquiries regarding policies throughout the duration of the client lifecycle.
This is our point team for all back office operations related to client policies. These are the people supporting teams from Sales to Renewals by processing endorsements, binding policies and issuing certificates of insurance. This team is constantly working to update and improve our internal information management systems in order to streamline processes and, ultimately, enhance the client experience.
The Finance Department is responsible for all of the day to day finance and accounting operations within the company. From managing bill payments and invoicing, to facilitating the monthly close process for all of our subsidiaries, the finance team is supporting all of our monetary needs. All questions pertaining to billing and payment softwares should be directed to these fiscal wizards.
Need a quote? You’ll want to consult our stellar marketers, who know exactly the right folks to call in order to obtain the best quotes for our clients. They are facilitating the entire policy marketing quoting and underwriting process by acting as the liaison between the carriers and all of our internal teams. They’re matchmakers and master negotiators, always looking out for the client’s best interest in getting the best quote possible.
Employee health and happiness is the mission of the HR department. From hiring to retaining, HR is responsible for the general well-being of all FS employees. Whether it be through employee reviews, team building events or building this handbook, the HR team is here to be a resource for the people by providing ongoing support and guidance throughout the employee’s tenure.
Where do all of our fantastic clients come from? Our amazing sales team, of course! These are the guys and gals responsible for cultivating relationships with prospective clients. They are utilizing a variety of creative lead generating techniques in order to network, qualify companies, and effectively manage pipelines. The end game is always the same: generate sales activity, make customers feel ecstatic and informed about their risk and insurance options, and make mad money for the company.
The technology department improves both our team’s productivity and our clients’ experience through technology. Whether creating features in salesforce and our online portal or finding new software to implement into our tech stack, Team Tech™ keeps us modern.
The goal of the Knowledge department is to educate Founder Shield employees and customers. From developing comprehensive coverage comparisons, to posting current, industry focused blogs, to keeping our employee wiki fresh and relevant, the Knowledge department does it all. Need a thorough policy analysis in order to understand how we can more effectively sell to our clients? No problem! This group is the ultimate resource for all things #insurance.
Vacation is fun, and we love to have fun! Take personal days off at your discretion, so long as it doesn’t interfere with your ability to perform your job duties. Use good judgement in taking time off. Notify your manager of any planned vacations a reasonable time in advance so that alternative plans can be made to cover your responsibilities.
We’re flexible, and understand that there are times when you’ll need to work from home. That said, we like each other, and we like coming to work every day, so most folks are in the office during a standard week. If you are in fact working from home, give your manager as much notice as possible so you can communicate with the team effectively during the day.
If you’re sick, stay home and get better. It really is to everyone’s benefit.
In an effort to mix it up, we organize a seat shuffle every 2 – 3 months. This will help you get to know your neighbors, and allow you to work cross-functionally with your fellow team members.
People generally arrive between 9 - 10A
You will be given a laptop to use for all work related purposes
Dress is casual: look presentable, feel comfortable
Get to know your teammates (and friends), and have fun!
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Goals help provide a framework for the week and, ultimately, allow you to complete larger objectives. Be smart, and make goals actionable.
Determining 3 things to do you need to do in order to achieve your goals will help you keep track of action items and allow you to succeed!