S4 EP32: M&A referrals, integration and being in growth mode - with Jeff Hutchins, SVP of Human Resources, PCF Insurance Services

“Our M&A work has been tremendous. We have sought out companies that we believe fit our culture.  You don't grow as rapidly as we have without having a strong M&A presence.We love to find entrepreneurs who care about their employees and want to grow their business. If you acquire the right type of leader and then they refer to a friend or someone else they do business with, that helps have alignment. 70% of our acquisitions have come through referrals”, says Jeff as he highlights PCF’s approach to M&A activity and the power of referrals. On the podcast this week, Jeff shares his career background and transition in to the insurance sector. From senior people roles with brands including Ancestry.com and Mastercard, Jeff joined PCF Insurance Services as VP of HR in November 2021. The fastest growing company in Utah for 3 consecutive years, PCF has grown from 700 employees to over 3500 since Jeff joined the business. “Integration is key. The one thing that we value so much is the human interaction or the relationships that get built. We bring our partners together twice a year and spend a lot of time networking. We talk about culture, who we are and what we value.” Jeff shares what he believes insurance people leaders need to be doing to attract more talent in to the insurance industry, He discusses PCF’s drive to hire for traits not for experience when it comes to talent attraction. "It's one of the best kept secrets out there. I don't know why we're not yelling from the rooftops about careers in insurance because there’s incredible opportunities and great people.”“Insurance is a career path that young people don't know enough about. I really think that we have an opportunity to think about the person. I love finding someone who is just great at service, great with people and seems very detail oriented. If they are, let's give them an opportunity.”Jeff gives insight in to selecting an external search partner and the one lesson his career has taught him, he wants everyone else to know. “It's all about one team, one goal. It's on my walls in my home. It's in my office. My team knows it. The lesson I've learned is look, you can't do it alone.”Jeff clarifies the team's approach to work life balance. "Work should be fun. There should be balance. I've always said that when you're on vacation, I want you on vacation. But it's a people business and when people need you, we want to be there.”He highlights what he looks for when recruiting senior insurance leaders in to the business. “Talk about your people. If we spend 10 minutes with a leader and they don't talk about their team and the people they lead, they're probably not a fit for us. I'm not hiring them as an individual contributor. I'm hiring them as a leader."Find out more about PCF Insurance Services or connect with Jeff Hutchins on LinkedInThe Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO of Insurance Search. Insurance Search is a global Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses with Critical Hires, Executive Search and Market Intelligence Services. To discuss identifying & attracting the very best insurance talent to your team or being a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast, reach out to Nick via