Here at Inszone, one of our missions is to make sure that every employee is appreciated, acknowledged, and recognized for their achievements. This Employee Spotlight series aims to celebrate success and highlight the talented individuals we have at Inszone, Cover Cannabis, and California Pool Association. Each month we’ll be featuring Inszone employees on our website, blog, and social accounts.
Brett Brown is a Corporate Development Associate at Inszone Insurance Services, joining the team in 2022. Brett attended California State University, Fullerton before transferring to the University of Phoenix, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Communications. In his previous profession, Brett was the Senior Multifamily Financial Analyst at Lument, one of the largest multifamily agency lenders for both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac debt placement. In his cumulative 10-year career in the industry, Brett has significant experience with developing streamlined operational processes, cultivating large-scale sales team support, and was specifically responsible for the training and team building of new analyst employees. In his most recent 5-year window, it is estimated that Brett’s teams were responsible for the origination and placement of over $500 Million in agency debt, helping Lument become a top-10 multifamily agency lender from 2017 to 2022. Consistently exceeding individual and team sales targets, Brett has earned several industry awards not only in recognition of his overall sales performance but his team leadership and training skills as well.
When asked to share some words about Brett, Jennifer Sevilla, who is Inszone’s Vice President for US Mergers and Acquisitions and Brett’s direct supervisor, said, “Brett Brown has been instrumental in the success of our M&A Team. He comes in every day with a great attitude. He is a creative and optimistic thinker and is extremely reliable. He works daily to learn, teach and be a resource to everyone around him. He is kind and sincere and really helps the Merger and Aquisition process remain communicative and an overall positive experience for everyone he works with. I am beyond grateful for everything he does and am proud to have him on the team.”
To get to know more about Brett, we asked him a couple of questions about him and his time in the insurance world:
Q: How did you get into the M&A/insurance industry?
A: I had been approached by Pat Grignon and Chris Walters with a unique opportunity to come on board with Inszone in a capacity to help expand our M&A operation. Prior to Inszone, I had no Insurance sales or M&A experience as I was primarily focused on the commercial real estate finance industry. However Pat and Chris believed that my personality and work ethic aligned well with the Inszone culture and that I had the potential to be successful working with Jennifer Sevilla and her team.
Q: What makes you a great Insurance Corporate Development Associate?
A: M&A is a unique space to be in because as much as it centers around a financial transaction, what ends up being most important to our new partners is not the money. Understanding that selling their business is one of the most important choices they will make in their professional lives, you must be empathic to the journey they are on when it comes to making this heavy decision. They are weighing not only their own future but the future of their customers and long-time employees, which are in some cases family. So, I believe to be a great M&A Corporate Development Associate you need to exhibit empathy and patience above all else.
Q: How did you come to the conclusion that the M&A/insurance industry is a good fit for you?
A: Not sure if I came to the conclusion that insurance was necessarily the fit, but that Inszone as a whole was a wonderful opportunity to work with people who are passionate and driven about their careers. I work with people who genuinely get excited about what we are building here and display that passion on a daily basis.
Q: If you could sit down with your younger self, what is one piece of advice you would share?
A: Everything that is meant to be, will be. Don’t sweat the small stuff because if it’s truly in God’s plan for your life, it will come to fruition.
Q: What’s something you do outside of work that would surprise your co-workers?
A: I am very involved in my kid’s extracurricular activities on a daily basis. Whether coaching their baseball and softball teams, getting them to ju-jitsu training, or watching them practice their horseback riding skills, I love being a part of their activities.
Q: What interests you in a career at Inszone?
A: I have been friends with Pat Grignon and Chris Walters for some time now and have watched as the success of Inszone has grown steadily. As we began to have conversations about what the future holds for their company, I always had it in the back of my mind that if there was an opportunity to join Inszone I would seriously consider it. Knowing they had leaders like them, Norm Hudson, Jennifer Sevilla, Rich Lemon, and Jit Harza, I had the utmost confidence in the prospects of this company.
Q: What quote keeps you inspired in your day-to-day life?
A: “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
Thank you for always putting your best foot forward at work, Brett. Your efforts are highly appreciated and may you keep up the good work! Congratulations Brett!
Juan Cruz
