Higginbotham, the employee-owned insurance, financial, and HR services firm headquartered in Texas, has created a new leadership role aimed at fueling organic growth from within. The company has appointed Jennifer DeMello-Johnson as its first Vice President of New Partner Growth & Engagement, signaling a sharper focus on helping new agency partners and top-performing recruits scale faster once they join the Higginbotham ecosystem.
Why It Matters
Unlike many firms that lean heavily on acquisitions, Higginbotham has been pursuing a dual-growth strategy—balancing strategic partnerships with internal expansion. DeMello-Johnson’s role is designed to bridge a critical gap: moving beyond simply adding partners to ensuring they have the roadmap, tools, and human support to thrive.
Or as Higginbotham Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid put it: “Joining a new firm can feel like being dropped into a new city without a map. You don’t need more directions—you need a guide. You need a concierge. That was the role we had to create.”
A Track Record in Growth
DeMello-Johnson joins from Acrisure, where she most recently served as Head of Sales & Growth, U.S. Retail. Before that, she spent more than a decade at Amerisure Insurance, helping launch and lead a subsidiary focused on scaling agency partners.
Her career has centered on a single throughline: helping agencies not only grow, but sustain growth after big changes—whether through acquisition or talent moves. That background made her a natural fit for Higginbotham’s newly defined growth role.
“My entire career has centered on helping agencies grow—not just through acquisition, but through what comes after,” DeMello-Johnson said. “It’s the first time we’ve had a dedicated position focused on bridging the gap between onboarding and organic growth, and I think it sends a powerful message about where Higginbotham is headed.”
Partner and Producer Focus
The role is designed to serve two key groups:
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New partner agencies joining Higginbotham, ensuring they integrate quickly and have access to the right resources.
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High-performing “five-star” producer recruits, giving them a faster runway to build business momentum with Higginbotham’s backing.
Reid added: “In this industry, good producers are relationship people. They don’t want to click through a website to find what they need. They want to talk to someone. Jennifer is that someone.”
The Bigger Picture
The appointment underscores Higginbotham’s intent to compete in a crowded market by strengthening the post-acquisition experience—a differentiator as consolidation sweeps the insurance and financial services industry.
By creating a role squarely focused on unlocking growth for new partners and producers, Higginbotham is betting that culture and support—not just capital—will be the real drivers of long-term success.
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