2020 has been an interesting year for all of us, to put it lightly. We know that many people with The Leaders Group have been impacted directly by this year’s pandemic, whether it involved hospital stays, a slowdown in business, or both. Please know that we are here to support you. This has also been a year where we have all learned to adapt – sometimes at a breakneck pace – to handle business in ways we never thought possible. For every story I have heard about the negative business impacts of COVID, I have heard another one about somebody who is finding more opportunities to get in front of their clients as a result of the rapid digital transformation we have experienced. While none of us would elect to experience 2020 again, I truly believe we will all come out stronger on the other side.
From a Leaders Group standpoint, 2020 has been a bit of a mixed bag. As a whole, we are doing better financially than we have in prior years, even with the heavy investment in technology earlier this spring. This is going to be a record year for us, due almost entirely to the efforts of all of you. On the flip side, as many of you are aware, my father and our founder, Dave Wickersham, passed away at the end of September. I have been trying to focus on the positive that he had worked so hard to ensure our team was ready for his eventual departure, but it would be an understatement to say that it has been a huge emotional loss for The Leaders Group family and the broader insurance and financial services industries. Thank you again to everyone that has reached out and/or made donations in his name; my mom and I truly appreciate the outpouring of support we have received.
I have been focused on the positives of this year from a business standpoint, and I do want you all to know that we have built an awesome team here that is working with me to ensure that we stick to preserving Dave’s vision for the company. Of course, first and foremost, at the top of our minds is Dave’s motto that doing the right thing is always the right thing, and this will continue to be our guiding principle. With that in mind, at the end of the day, our business is built on three core pillars, and I would like all of you to hold us personally accountable if you find that we are not living up to any one of them. These pillars are: a high standard of customer service and everything this entails including the personal relationships we have built with our representatives and our knowledge of the industry; second is business friendly compliance that will not only keep all of us out of trouble but will help you find answers that aren’t just “no;” third is a dedication to technology and other tools to help you grow your businesses. All three of these pieces are part of the continued focus for 2021.
Thank you for your support through this year and your continued partnership. With vaccines being distributed as I write this, I am filled with hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that we are approaching an end to the economic disruptions that have marked this year. All of us here at The Leaders Group look forward to continuing to serve you and wish you a happy and successful 2021.
Sean Wickersham, President & Chief Marketing Officer