There are a lot of experiences that Branch Insurance Co-Founder Steve Lekas took away from his 17 years working in the property/casualty insurance industry that shaped his thinking in building an InsurTech deeply rooted in community values.Executive SummaryBranch Insurance, an InsurTech unicorn that offers nearly instant bundled personal lines insurance at prices below more established brands, is the only insurance company on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list. The company’s chief people officer and chief executive believe that a mission, an inside-out brand, a culture intentionally shaped by nine root principles and transparent talent management practices are among the reasons.
What it felt like to leave one of those companies was one experience that left an indelible impression.
“You could have been a 20-year employee, and the first day that you announced you’re leaving, [even though] yesterday you were very much on the team, today we would walk you out and box up your stuff. You’d carry it out in front of all your colleagues, not being able to say anything to anyone.”
“That’s really hard on a human psyche,” Lekas said, also recalling how the people left behind would all take it personally that you left them, “especially your manager…This becomes about them.”