Rising Star Frank Kilburg on the CRIS Designation and Growing Your Industry Network to Your Advantage

Marsh's Frank Kilburg discusses what being a Power Broker means to him, and how he continues to push himself in the brokering industry.
By: | September 6, 2021

 


 


Come see the Stars! As part of our ongoing coverage of the best brokers in the commercial insurance space, Risk & Insurance®, with the sponsorship of Philadelphia Insurance, is expanding its coverage of the Rising Stars, those brokers who represent the next wave of insurance brokering talent.

Look for these expanded profiles on the Risk & Insurance website and in your social media feeds now and continuing into 2022.

Here we catch up with Frank Kilburg, vice president, account executive at Marsh, and a 2021 Construction Power Broker finalist and Rising Star.

Risk & Insurance: Can you describe your brokering journey? How did you find yourself in the risk management and insurance industry and what led you to your current role?

Frank Kilburg: Shortly after I graduated, I had a few introductory interviews with Aon and was eventually offered an entry-level role in the construction group.

I was immediately hooked by the combination of technical knowledge, problem solving and interpersonal skills that the industry required and pushed myself to learn as much as I could.

I was very fortunate to have a few mentors at Aon who recognized my passion and willingness to learn very early on. They increasingly gave me more responsibilities and really put me in positions to grow and succeed.

Being named a Power Broker finalist and Rising Star actually sparked the conversation that led to my current role at Marsh. They reached out to connect after the awards were announced, and we had a number of conversations, which ultimately led me to my current role.

R&I: What would you say has been the most rewarding aspect of being a broker and why?

FK: Helping clients find unique solutions is by far the most rewarding aspect of being a broker.

When a client comes to you with a difficult task, it shows that they believe in you as an advisor and partner, and reaching a successful conclusion validates that trust that they have put in you.

R&I: You have the Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designation. What made you want to get this designation and how has it helped advance your career?

FK: I wanted to get the CRIS designation to further develop my construction-specific knowledge and supplement the on-the-job experience I was gaining in the early stages of my career.

Understanding these topics showed clients that I was someone with the expertise to advise and assist them.

R&I: What would you consider the top three construction risks that should be on the industry’s radar?

FK: Cyber/ransomware attacks, construction defect risk, and increasing automation are all critical issues that are rapidly evolving every single day.

How our industry (brokers, carriers, project owners and contractors) continues to adapt to these challenges is very crucial.

R&I: What advice would you give to young professionals interested in a career in insurance?

FK: Try to be well-rounded and get involved in as many parts of the industry as you can.

I found it very beneficial to sit in on as many meetings as I could, whether that be with brokers, underwriters, claims specialists or actuaries, to just try to absorb as much information possible.

In addition to learning about multiple parts of our business and how they all work together for our clients, it was also a great way to expand my network in the industry early on, which has been instrumental in my growth over the years. &

Autumn Demberger is a freelance writer and can be reached at [email protected].

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