Category: Press / News

Barry joined Hausmann Group in 2010 and was later named President in 2014. During his time as President, the agency has been named on the lists of 10 Best Workplaces in Insurance (2015), 50 Best Workplaces for Giving Back (2016), and Best Small Workplaces (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) by Fortune. Prior to joining Hausmann Group, Barry gained insurance industry experience as a commercial agent after concluding a long career playing professional hockey.

Barry is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Business, and holds a BBA in Marketing. He played hockey for the Badgers during that time, went on to represent Team USA in the 1994 Olympic Games, and played professionally for 15 years. He sits on the American Family Children’s Hospital’s advisory board and is co-chair of the Benefit Advisors Network’s board of directors. Additionally, he and his father run a golf outing each year for Easter Seals and have raised over $1,000,000 for the children at Camp Wawbeek.

Barry enjoys fishing, golfing, and going up north with his family. He and his wife Kim have 4 children and reside in Verona, WI.

What is your background and how did you get into this line of work?
I was a marketing major from the University of Wisconsin that had an opportunity to play professional hockey for 15 years in the NHL, AHL and overseas in Sweden and Switzerland. I stopped playing in 2008 and had to get a “real job” as my dad said. This was during the recession (fun times) and the only company that was hiring was a small P&C agency where I knew the owner. In 2010, I proceeded to move over to a larger agency that had both EB and P&C and started to consult on both, with the help of awesome account managers that made me look good. Later on I became President in 2014.

What are your leadership principles?
There are too many to list as I have learned from many great leaders and coaches over the years. Principles that really stick out to me are: Lead by example as everyone is watching what you do and how you do it. Communication needs to be at a high level to be an effective leader. You must continually improve yourself as what worked 2 years ago may not work today. Be humble and work hard. Listen actively. Make sure you appreciate the individuals around you that keep the lights on in your agency.

Why are you passionate about BAN? What value has it brought you/your business?
I have made great relationships over the years with other independent agencies around the nation. Everyone is eager to help each other and collaborate for the greater good. If we are stuck with a situation, we reach out to our reps at BAN and they guide and connect us with other members that have the knowledge to help.

With ongoing inflation, higher interest rates, and a shaky economy, are you worried about the economy? If so, are you taking steps to prepare for a recession?
It seems that with the latest data, the risk is diminishing of the economy heading into a recession. Inflation has edged lower in recent months, which is good news, but we are cautious as an agency. I don’t think we are out of the woods yet and there are still problems (localized) out there that are lurking in the weeds.

What are the industry’s biggest challenges?
I am not as active as I use to be in consulting with our clients, but it seems that the Rx landscape has dramatically changed over the years. The loss ratio for Rx was usually around 10-15% of the total premium for employer groups and now that number has grown to 20-25%. This ties into how the yearly increases for our clients are not sustainable and we all have to be creative and educated enough to offer up calming solutions. This is where BAN can help.

What are one or two lessons you’ve learned that you can share with the younger generations?
Always be learning and try and be the best version of yourself professionally and personally. Ask for honest feedback on how others see you and how to improve. Add some grit and this will take you a long way. Not sure if this is two or three lessons, but that is what you get when you use Chat GPT.

Barry can be reached at brichter@myhaus.com or (608) 257-3795.

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Tom Murphy is a veteran Benefits Consultant and Managing Partner at Sonus Benefits. After over 30 years in the benefits space, Tom knows what it takes to supply clients with a comprehensive partnership and superior results.

Tom also serves as one of four partners at MSMF, Sonus Benefits’ parent company, and runs his own personal financial services practice. He sits on numerous professional and charitable boards and routinely speaks to professional associations and employer groups on topics that relate to employee benefits and healthcare reform.

Tom started his insurance career as a group insurance wholesaler and later advanced to hold the position of Regional Vice President with a major insurance company managing as many as 11 regional sales offices throughout the Midwest. In 2002, he made the transition to the Employee Benefits Consulting side. Tom is Past-President of the St. Louis Association of Health Underwriters and a past officer of the Missouri Association of Health Underwriters.

Tom lives in Eureka with his wife, Dee Dee, and 3 daughters, Caitlin, Maddie, and Emma, and always enjoys spending time with family and friends.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational and Business Communication from Missouri State University and is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®).

What is your background and how did you get into this line of work?
Probably being a bartender in college is the best thing that prepared me on running an agency. You got to hear everyone’s problems and try to make them happy. Seriously, I started as a group representative fresh out of college and worked for insurance carriers for 17 years. I was able to see how many others ran their firms and could see who did it best. I was fortunate to have some great mentors that built strong organizations. When I decided to start my own Employee Benefit consulting firm in January 2022, I tried to take a little bit of all those that I respected and build a firm with the simple principle of putting others first.

Speaking of principles, what are your leadership principles?
It is important to have a purpose. A purpose is different than a mission statement in that it is the “WHY” behind what you do. Our firm’s “purpose” is “Solutions For a Happy Life,” which means that we work towards finding the best outcome, no matter the stakeholder. Whether I am working with the “C” suite, HR, an employee at a group, a carrier partner, or one of my great team members, I am looking at how I can provide the best experience. It is important to seek to understand what challenges they are dealing with and what they are trying to accomplish. Then I work to find a pathway to success.

Why are you passionate about BAN? What value has it brought you/your business?
I am passionate about the people. The #1 value BAN has brought to me and my firm is collaboration. Knowing you have others around the country that are dealing with or have dealt with similar issues that we or our clients are facing is comforting. Having others that are there that are always willing to help is invaluable. Also being part of something bigger than just ourselves and knowing some really smart individuals are willing to assist when asked.

With ongoing inflation, higher interest rates, and a shaky economy, are you worried about the economy? If so, are you taking steps to prepare for a recession?
With the 24/7 nature of our news cycle, it is hard not to worry a bit about the economy. But also we must understand that this is not unique. If you look back in history we have gone through many tragedies and bad economic conditions, but the great thing about America is that we are resilient and innovative. It is important to put it all in perspective. I am sure our grandparents worried about our parents, no different than our parents worried about us and we worry about our children or grandchildren. It is important to have faith that each generation will figure it out, as they have for many centuries.

Where do you see the industry headed for the balance of 2023 and in 2024?
This is a tough one. We are still seeing some effects of “covid hang-over” in not only delayed healthcare but also in our workforce. It seems as though rates are rising faster than they have been in the past couple of years. As an industry, we need to continue to find innovative ways to assist our clients and their members to hold down costs. With many carriers closing their sales offices and shifting their service models, it is incumbent on us to be there even more for our client partners. It is sometimes challenging to be optimistic but our job is to find solutions and I am confident we will continue to do just that.

What are the industry’s biggest challenges?
My biggest concern is the continued rising cost of care, especially when it comes to pharmacy. It is a tough balance because what makes us great is the innovations and advancement of health care. What may have been a terminal condition just years ago can now be cured. The advancements are incredible, but the costs are growing at an unsustainable rate. Unfortunately, each of the different stakeholders seems to point the finger at the other as being the “problem” or cause. We need to continue to find ways to come together to ensure care is affordable for all.

We continue to see the cost of care rising and this has a great impact on employers and their members. Inherently employers want to do their best for their associates and provide them with fair wages and strong benefits programs. As an industry, we need to continue to strive to find the best solutions that provide both comprehensive and competitive benefit programs. I also feel we need to all work together to better educate others to be better consumers of healthcare.

For the younger generation, what are one or two lessons you’ve learned that you can share with them?

• Spend more time listening than talking. Take the time to understand what others are saying. It is ok to ask questions to seek better understanding.
• Be servient and put others first. If you take care of others, you will never have to worry about being rewarded.

Tom can be reached at tmurphy@sonusbenefits.com or 314-677-2550.

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Please allow us to introduce David Fischer. David’s specialty is transforming organizations into market leaders that deliver sustained growth and profitability. Fusing a high-energy sales, business development, change management, and operations background with a lifelong work ethic and leadership built within the US Marine Corps, David has ignited multimillion-dollar growth across a range of industries and settings, including startups, Fortune 500, and PE/VC-backed ventures.  David is an innovator and natural leader that attracts and develops new businesses, expands market opportunities, and builds trust across the entire business ecosystem.

After serving eight years as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, David spent twelve years in the high-tech public sector with an emphasis on international sales providing manufacturing software solutions to the Fortune 100. He then moved into the private sector where he led innovative startups from launch to acquisition. Currently, David is the Chief Revenue Officer at Gregory and Appel Insurance, where he leads the organization’s sales development, revenue sustainability, and go-to-market strategies. David earned his degree in Economics and Marketing at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1987.

What is your background and how did you get into this line of work?

I have had a very diverse professional career. After graduating college, I served eight years as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.  My combat billets were infantry, parachute, and special operations while my non-combat billets were finance and logistics.  My experience in the military also included a diplomatic tour as a General’s aide.

I then spent twelve years with large publicly traded organizations in the high-tech market where I focused on international sales, sales leadership, and revenue operations. I have spent the last fifteen years in the private sector across many industries and developed go-to-market strategies for emerging companies, led two financial recoveries, and executed multiple M&A events.

My last two roles have both been in the insurance industry serving in leadership and organizational transition, and I have to admit, I never thought I would be in the “insurance business.” Now that I am here, I LOVE it. We are in a fascinating industry — and the best part is that we get to help people.

What are your leadership principles?

Integrity, authenticity, communication, intentionality, and action.

Why are you passionate about BAN? What value has it brought you/your business?

It’s only natural to be passionate about BAN membership!  It brings an incredible peer group of agencies that are open to collaboration and sharing of best practices.  Each interaction with the agencies and members has led to mutual learning that is beyond measurable and ultimately helped create better outcomes for our clients.  In addition to professional growth and relationships, I value the newly developed friendships.

With ongoing inflation, higher interest rates, and a shaky economy, are you worried about the economy?  If so, are you taking steps to prepare for a recession?

I am not worried about the economy minus a catastrophic global event between world leaders and warring nations — then we will all have to face a much different set of issues.  The economy has a proven track record of cyclicality: do not over-enjoy the “ups” and do not dwell on the “downs” as both shall pass.  So, no, I am not taking steps to prepare for a recession but rather ensuring that I have put my organization in a position to withstand any economic condition.  The same goes for my personal life.

Where do you see the industry headed for the balance of 2023 and in 2024?

We are seeing a tremendous amount of activity coming out of the pandemic on all sides of our agency and we planned for the increase in activity.  During COVID, organizations were only addressing the parts of their business that were in critical need.  An employee benefits program change was not high on the list of adjustments to make during COVID unless it was categorically not working or not supporting employees.  Now, all bets are off and it is a blessing and a curse. Tenured clients are exploring options just out of curiosity to understand what the market now has to offer.  This puts current clients at risk but opens discussions and opportunities for new clients.

We have also seen a significant increase in alternative risk solutions being adopted.  I anticipate that trend to continue if not outright accelerate.   

What are the industry’s biggest challenges?

An aging workforce coupled with a limited talent pool is being recruited into our industry.  Every forum, seminar, conference or leadership discussion I have been a part of centers around three critical components: one, retaining, developing, and engaging the talent we have; two, recruiting new talent; three, bringing people back into the office while maintaining a hybrid environment.

My highest priority and concern for my agency is recruiting.  We will not continue our scale and growth trajectory without increasing our talent pool and onboarding them successfully to build a career. 

For the younger generation, what are one or two lessons you’ve learned that you can share with them?

1. Have a growth mindset in all aspects of your life.  Never stop learning.  Never stop pushing.  Never stop challenging.
2. Be BOLD.  Take calculated risks.
3. Be reflective and learn from your mistakes.  Embrace them, don’t run away from them.

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