Investing in Its People

Century Risk Advisors is a relatively young agency, founded in just 2013 in Boca Raton, Fla. But it boasts an impressive track record in the insurance industry as the second agency formed by Chairman Ron Reshefsky, who sold the first agency he started in 1983 to USI in 1997, and includes several team members who worked with him there.

Ron’s son, Gary Reshefsky, is now heading the new Century Risk Advisors team and “has been very successful in recreating our culture over the last six years,” Ron Reshefsky said.

“As we don’t have private equity investors, our emphasis is on serving our clients and employees first,” he said.

Employees of the agency cited that employee and client emphasis in their Insurance Journal Best Agency to Work For nominations. Employees of the 2019 Silver winner said they feel appreciated and valued, and as such work hard to help their clients.

“CRA is a wonderful place to work,” wrote one employee in the nomination. “Management consistently looks for ways to improve the workplace experience. They are very generous with salaries, benefits and community involvement.”

“CRA provides an environment that promotes professional growth through collaborative discussions, one-on-one training and access to various resources. The culture promotes a healthy work-home balance, which is incredibly important for our team members. Everyone genuinely cares about the well-being of their co-workers and it shows in the work product. When people enjoy coming to work, it makes all the difference,” said another respondent.

Gary Reshefksy, president of Century Risk Advisors, said the agency sets itself apart from other agencies because it invests “heavily in risk management services,” which it provides at no additional cost to clients. “The resources and culture translate to a high-touch, client-focused service organization that provides a work environment that is invigorating and allows our amazing team to amplify their talent so we can reach shared goals,” he said.

Employees agreed, saying their knowledge and customer service sets the agency apart, adding they don’t just write insurance policies. “We get to know our clients and advise in all areas of risk management.”

“Our in-house risk management team allows us to be very impactful to our clients. Any agency can place a policy, but do they go the extra mile to make that policy work for the insured in their time of need?” said another survey respondent.

Employees also appreciate the support the agency shows to various organizations throughout the local community. They said they feel more connected to the clients they serve day in and day out by giving back.

CRA has also invested in a healthy work environment, one survey respondent said, offering stand-up conversion desks, walking competitions, a “three-minute timeout” initiative, and a “don’t eat lunch at your desk” initiative.

One employee said the company shows it cares on a personal level as well, and has been working with the employee to obtain their CISR designation.

“Our company respects all employees from the bottom up. We have monthly meetings where we get together to share what’s going on in each other’s worlds,” one respondent said.

“It’s definitely a family oriented agency, and it’s nice that we even do things together outside the office. These things may seem minimal, but they weigh heavy on why this is one of the best agencies to work for,” said another respondent.

Gary Reshefsky said it’s gratifying to know the company is an agency of choice for team members, and he is proud of the nomination. His advice to other agency owners striving to make their agency a best place to work is to invest in your agency and its team.

“I appreciate being part of a team that gets really excited about doing a great job for our clients. I enjoy working with insurers that stand behind their promise to make our clients whole after a loss,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoy talking about the strength of our team and the quality services we offer, which is hard to find in our marketplace.”