JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Brightway Insurance today announced that Co-founder Michael Miller will assume the role of President and CEO.
Miller said: “We thank Talman Howard for his contributions to Brightway over the last seven years. He was instrumental in helping us rebuild our Executive Team, which was key to our transition from being a single-state franchise system to a countrywide franchisor. Thanks to Talman, we now have an incredible team of experts driven to help our business partners achieve the greatest possible return.”
In addition, the company is making other changes to its Executive Team to ensure it continues to be poised for growth:
- Leslie Kolleda-Wright, formerly V.P., Agency Growth & Development, is now Chief of Staff. In that role, she will work arm-in-arm with Miller in outlining and executing key strategies as well in leading the day-to-day operations of the company. She will also continue to lead the company’s Marketing and Communications functions. Kolleda-Wright has been with Brightway for nearly six years leading the groups that support franchisees and, prior to that, served as brand and communications business leader at two publicly traded insurance companies for over 26 years.
- Scott Pollard, formerly Director of Agency Development and Carrier Relations is now V.P., Agency Growth & Development, filling the role that Kolleda-Wright is being promoted from. In that role, he will be responsible for developing and executing strategies that help franchisees grow leveraging the holistic platform of support Brightway provides. The following groups will report to Pollard: Agency Development, Agency Support, Training, Onboarding and Carrier Relations. Pollard brings more than 25 years of insurance experience with him to the role; he joined Brightway in 2018.
- Chip Hyers has joined the company as V.P., Sales. Hyers brings with him 15 years’ experience in building, growing and managing sales and operations teams. In his role at Brightway, he will help the company develop sales tools and strategies that help franchisees and the company grow.
Brightway’s Executive Team is now made up of:
- Executive Chairman: David Miller
- President and CEO: Michael Miller
- Chief of Staff: Leslie Kolleda-Wright
- Chief Financial Officer: Bob Taylor
- Chief Technology Officer: Bob Hitchcock
- General Counsel: Max Staplin
- VP., Customer Experience: Kris Azar
- VP., Sales: Chip Hyers
- VP., Business Intelligence and Technical Support: Chinikqua Maddox
- VP., Agency Growth & Development: Scott Pollard
- VP., Accounting: Jess Spendley
“We are excited about our future,” said Miller. “When my brother David and I co-founded Brightway in 2008, we had a dream of building a $10 million agency. Today I’m proud to say we’re one of the largest Personal Lines agencies in the country at over $635 million in written premium. Our dream was to create a business opportunity with the lowest risk in achieving the highest possible return on investment. I am extremely proud of everyone at Brightway and our collective accomplishments.”
About Brightway Insurance
Brightway Insurance is a national property/casualty insurance distribution company with more than $636 million in annualized written premium, making it one of the largest Personal Lines agencies in the U.S.
Brightway’s focus is on producing Win, Win, Win outcomes for consumers by offering customized insurance solutions and for people wishing to sell insurance by providing business opportunities that span from single Agent to multi-unit enterprises. Regardless of the path taken, Brightway provides the support necessary to consistently outsell other insurance agents.
Brightway got its start in 2008 and has since grown to more than 900 people in 202 offices across 22 states serving customers in all 50 states.
Consumers seeking a better insurance buying experience may visit Brightway.com, and people wishing to learn more about franchise ownership with Brightway may visit BrightwayDifference.com.
