As part of our commitment to delivering innovative solutions and creating a positive impact for our customers, clients, and teammates, we have proudly assembled a leadership team that is rich in both expertise and creativity, as they cast the vision for the future of Brown & Brown Absence Services Group while also developing and executing against our strategies for success.
We are pleased to introduce our team, starting with Sean Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Operations & Performance. Sean recently celebrated his 15th anniversary with Brown & Brown Absence Services Group, and he has held a wide range of roles within the organization.
In 2006, while attending law school in the evenings, Sean joined the company (which was then known as Crowe, Paradis & Albren) as a Client Advocate. He quickly transitioned into a supervisor role, which positioned him for future growth and, ultimately, his current role on the executive leadership team as a Senior VP. Sean’s experience as a Client Advocate and his years spent managing multiple operational functions throughout the organization give him a unique perspective on the experience of claimants seeking Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. When asked to reflect on his unique career path, Sean recalled:
“I learned about leadership and management quickly and through hands-on experience. After some time, our President asked me to help analyze data for our customers to help communicate our value proposition and identify areas where we could collaborate with our carrier partners to drive results with clear returns on investment. After lending myself to these projects for several years outside of my supervisor role, I transitioned into a position that allowed me to focus solely on data analytics and performance. As our business continued to grow, my role organically expanded to involve all data company-wide. Acquiring new businesses and serving more clients deepened our dependence on making data-driven decisions, and I was now able to provide greater insight into how to best enhance our workflows and operations to drive teammate success, which we know is crucial to customer and client satisfaction.”
Sean continues to maintain the data analytics function in his role, but he has also established a team dedicated to providing Brown & Brown Absence with data-driven support. Sean also manages SSDI operations, working with a talented group of Directors to oversee the entire journey clients go through during their time working with Brown & Brown Absence on a Social Security claim.
We asked Sean some more questions about his long tenure with Brown & Brown Absence, as well as what his goals are for the future, both personally and for the broader organization. Here’s what he had to say:
What responsibilities of your role do you take the most pride in?
“As a company, we focus on maintaining the right balance between driving results and creating the best possible experience for our clients, customers, and teammates, as these are all truly connected. We know that creating a positive teammate experience is essential for client and customer satisfaction – and in our business, this is the catalyst for driving results.
That said, I take the most pride in working daily with my leadership team, both in helping to run the business as well as providing them with a solid foundation on which to grow as leaders. Although I always want to retain our incredible teammates, I take pride in helping them develop their skills so they feel empowered and equipped to be successful throughout their careers and in their personal lives. Additionally, I am extremely proud of the number of people that we have helped get the benefits that they need and deserve. The volume of claims we have managed over the years is staggering, and when you step back and think about all the time, effort, and relationship-building that is involved in just one person receiving benefits, the accomplishment becomes that much greater.”
What would you consider to be the biggest highlight(s) of your career with Brown & Brown?
“Brown & Brown Absence Services Group has undergone multiple transformations during my time here, including several leadership changes, opening new office locations, evolving service models, and creating new company goals to drive growth and adapt to the dynamic needs in the market. This dynamic growth is what drives me each day.
While I am certainly proud of many events throughout my career, including winning new business, dramatically improving our service metrics, and successfully managing through multiple acquisitions, I consider the biggest highlight to be the working relationships I have built with my colleagues. I truly feel that the team I work with is as talented as you could find anywhere. Everyone is committed to our collective success, and we have developed a great level of trust with each other that didn’t happen overnight, but rather came through many successes and some challenges over the years – I believe we can accomplish anything.”
What are your predictions about how the disability landscape will evolve over the coming months, given the unique circumstances brought about by the ongoing pandemic?
“Over the last 18+ months, we have seen unprecedented changes occur within the Social Security Administration – and the disability market in general. I believe that in the coming months, we can expect to see a significant increase in disability claims driven by COVID ‘long haulers’ – and with lingering uncertainty around federal funding levels, new methods of operation will be needed as the SSDI landscape continues to evolve.
I also expect the use of predictive modeling to increase to triage complex cases, such as those citing ‘long haul’ COVID complications, as efficiently as possible. That said, even with the development of new technologies and increased efficiencies, the industry still needs leaders and workers who are both knowledgeable and compassionate to help disabled individuals obtain the benefits they need. Our team is smart, adaptable, and rich in experience and expertise, with a strong ability to solve problems and execute for results. I am excited to bring all of that together in creative ways to bring new, valuable solutions to the market.”