Fourteen Leavitt Group co-owners representing 10 insurance agencies have completed the inaugural cohort of Leavitt LEAD, a two-year development program designed to prepare co-owners for greater leadership responsibility and future ownership transitions.
Successful perpetuation starts long before an agency owner is ready to step away. Co-owners need time to gain experience, take on greater responsibility, and understand what it takes to run and grow an agency. Leavitt LEAD was created to provide that opportunity.
“Leadership transitions are a natural part of a healthy organization, and we want to be thoughtful about preparing for them,” said Vance Smith, president of Leavitt Group. “Our responsibility is to develop people before those transitions happen. We want future leaders to have the time and opportunity to develop the judgment, skills, and experience they’ll need to lead well.”
The first cohort began in January 2025. Participants met in person three times each year, including sessions in Cedar City, Utah, and at Leavitt Group’s annual Partners Conference. Between sessions, they continued their development through virtual learning and individual executive coaching.
“Every time we came together, the learning was intentionally tied back to one of our seven governing principles,” said Megen Ralphs, employee experience leader at Leavitt Group. “Those principles connected what participants were learning about leadership, agency management, and growth to the culture and values that guide our organization.”
Throughout the program, participants studied strategic agency planning, financial management, sales leadership, employee relations, acquisitions, succession planning, governance, and errors and omissions. The schedule also included hands-on exercises, team projects, and time with Leavitt Group’s executive leadership team.
Leavitt LEAD brought together co-owners from agencies across the organization, giving them the opportunity to learn alongside peers facing many of the same ownership decisions. Keeping each cohort small gives co-owners the opportunity to build relationships they can continue to draw on after the program ends.
“Leavitt LEAD pushed me outside my comfort zone and helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect, both personally and as a leader,” said John Reiners, co-owner of Leavitt Heartland Insurance. “More than anything, I’ll take away the relationships I built with the other participants. The conversations and connections with them are what made the experience so meaningful to me.”
The second Leavitt LEAD cohort began in January 2026 and Leavitt Group plans to continue with new cohorts each year.
Leavitt Group is one of the largest privately held insurance brokerages in the nation with a mission to build, serve, and perpetuate independent insurance agencies as partners with local co-owners. With an extensive network of 80+ agencies and 290+ locations across 31 states, Leavitt Group offers a distinctive advantage with local ownership, delivering a personalized and collaborative approach to commercial insurance, employee benefits, and personal insurance. With over 70 years in the insurance industry, Leavitt Group brings national strength and local trust to the communities and clients they serve. For more information about Leavitt Group, visit www.leavitt.com.
