Higginbotham Creates New VP Role to Drive Partner Growth and Integration
Higginbotham, a leading Texas-based, employee-owned insurance, financial, and HR services firm, has announced the creation of a new vice president position dedicated to accelerating growth and seamless integration for its partners and top recruits. Jennifer DeMello-Johnson has been appointed as Vice President of New Partner Growth & Engagement, a custom-built role aimed at supporting newly acquired agencies and high-performing producers as they leverage the firm’s extensive resources. The move, revealed on August 26, 2025, underscores Higginbotham’s commitment to a dual-growth strategy that balances strategic acquisitions with organic expansion in a consolidating U.S. insurance distribution market. As competition intensifies for independent agencies and talent, this initiative positions the firm to retain and empower its partners more effectively.
Jennifer DeMello-Johnson’s Background and Expertise
DeMello-Johnson brings over 17 years of industry experience, most recently serving as Head of Sales & Growth for U.S. Retail at Acrisure, where she drove expansion strategies for retail operations. Prior to that, she spent more than a decade at Amerisure Insurance, playing a key role in launching and leading a subsidiary focused on agency partner support, including expansion and succession planning. Her career has centered on helping agencies not just survive acquisitions but thrive post-integration, making her an ideal fit for this pioneering role at Higginbotham. DeMello-Johnson has previously collaborated with agencies that later joined Higginbotham, giving her intimate knowledge of the firm’s culture and growth-oriented mindset.
In her new position, DeMello-Johnson will act as a dedicated guide, bridging the onboarding process with long-term organic growth. She will assist new partner agencies in integrating and expanding operations while providing high-performing “five-star recruits”—top producers joining the firm—with tailored roadmaps to build momentum quickly. “In a lot of ways, I’ve been preparing for this role for the last 17 years,” DeMello-Johnson said. “My entire career has centered on helping agencies grow—not just through acquisition, but through what comes after. That’s what makes this role so important. 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.”
Strategic Focus on Dual Growth and Partner Support
The creation of this role reflects Higginbotham’s broader strategy to invest in post-acquisition support amid a wave of industry consolidation. As independent agencies face increasing pressure, the firm aims to differentiate itself by providing personalized, relationship-driven assistance rather than relying solely on digital tools. Higginbotham Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid emphasized the need for a “concierge” approach: “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: someone who knows the landscape, who understands where you’re trying to go and how to get you there.” Reid noted that producers in the industry are inherently relationship-focused and prefer direct human interaction over self-service platforms, positioning DeMello-Johnson as the key point of contact to meet those needs.
This initiative is part of Higginbotham’s employee-owned model, which emphasizes values like family to employees, accountability to clients, teamwork with carriers, and generosity to communities. By unlocking organic growth from within, the firm seeks to enhance retention, boost client services, and drive sustainable expansion. DeMello-Johnson will focus on equipping partners with Higginbotham’s people, tools, and resources to achieve industry-leading results, ultimately supporting the firm’s goal of maintaining high client retention rates—consistently above 95%—while competing for complex new business opportunities.
Industry Context and Implications for Insurance Brokerage
The U.S. insurance distribution sector is experiencing steady consolidation, with firms racing to acquire independent agencies and top talent to scale operations. However, post-merger integration remains a challenge, often leading to lost productivity or client attrition if not handled effectively. Higginbotham’s new role addresses this by prioritizing resources that extend beyond the acquisition phase, signaling a shift toward holistic support in a competitive landscape. As one of the nation’s top independent brokers—ranked 27th by revenue—Higginbotham is well-positioned to attract partners through this enhanced framework, potentially setting a benchmark for how brokerages invest in their ecosystems.
This appointment aligns with recent executive moves at Higginbotham, including promotions in financial services and employee benefits earlier in 2024, demonstrating a proactive approach to scaling leadership amid growth. For agencies and producers considering partnerships, the role offers a clear pathway to success, emphasizing equity ownership opportunities and collaborative environments that unify teams around shared goals. As DeMello-Johnson steps into her position, she is expected to play a pivotal role in Higginbotham’s continued ascent, fostering a network of empowered partners ready to navigate the evolving insurance market.