This episode challenges the traditional view of claims management as just a vendor service and explores why it’s a critical driver of MGA profitability. We discuss how claims are the largest cost component for MGAs and why strong claims management capabilities—whether in-house or through strategic partnerships, are essential for success.
Learn the importance of aligning goals, implementing performance guarantees, and sharing risk to create a true partnership that drives profitability. By the end of the episode, MGAs will understand how rethinking their approach to claims management can unlock new levels of efficiency, accountability, and financial performance.
Guest Speaker: Sean Willett, Gallagher Bassett
Sean Willett leads Gallagher Bassett’s Carrier sales and business development efforts, as well as spearhead the advancement of our Carrier product offering. He previously led Gallagher Bassett’s Strategic Initiatives team responsible for identifying, prioritizing, and executing the company’s most important efforts across North America, after joining in 2022.
Earlier in his career, Sean served as director of Strategy at KPMG U.S., where he served as a leader in the Insurance Strategy advisory practice in charge of building new solutions, generating new business, and leading numerous client engagements. Before this role, he worked at Allstate, where he focused on customer data and analytics. He was responsible for the delivery of Allstate’s Customer Data Strategy program: a multi-year, multimillion-dollar program to lay the technological foundation to better understand and serve customers across their insurance journeys.
Sean holds a Bachelor of Science in business from the University of Illinois and a graduate certification in financial decision-making from the University of Chicago. He also serves as board treasurer for The Harbour, Inc., a Chicago nonprofit that provides emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless youth.
Guest Speaker: Shawn Fatheree, Gallagher Bassett
Shawn Fatheree has more than 25 years of diverse insurance industry experience, including functional leadership roles with carriers, third-party administrators, and MGAs. He started his career as a claims adjuster with Progressive before finding the MGA/Program industry where he has excelled in positions across claims, operations, and sales.
“After spending the majority of the last three decades on the loss adjudication side of the table — owning loss ratios and standing behind resolution outcomes — I’ve seen firsthand where claims operations create value and where they quietly erode programs,” he says. “That viewpoint is what led me to my current role, partnering with Carriers and MGAs at Gallagher Bassett to deliver best-in-class TPA services designed not as outsourced claims handling, but as a true extension of your organization.”
Shawn resides with his family in Nashville, TN and is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan’s Risk Management and Insurance program.
