Gregory & Appel’s Ashton Balch is one of just four agency insurance professionals selected for Hanover Business School, a cross-business leadership development program designed to help participants increase their business acumen and strategic thinking. She will work alongside an additional 20 attendees who are current employees of The Hanover Insurance Group.
Balch, a senior claims advocate and claims team lead working in G&A’s client services department, was selected for the program which will run from March to October. It aims to provide high-potential talent with exposure to real-world business scenarios and opportunities to collaborate with peers while working alongside industry leaders.
She is the first claims professional selected, and is excited to bring a new perspective to the proceedings.
“Claims is really where the rubber meets the road in insurance,” explains Balch. “What do these policies actually look like when you have to use them? Instead of being reactive, how can we bring new solutions to the table and adapt to new opportunities?”
Since joining Gregory & Appel in 2019, Balch has proven herself to be a rising star, and is always searching for new growth opportunities. She completed her Certified Authority on Workers’ Compensation (CAWC) in 2020 and her Cyber COPE Insurance Certification (CCIC) through Chubb and Carnegie Mellon University in 2023.
“Insurance is always changing,” says Balch. “If we only accepted what we knew the day we were hired we’d miss out on opportunities for innovation and learning. Our clients are evolving too, and updating our strategic thinking and perspectives by working with the other participants in the course won’t just help me, it will help the whole agency.”
Gregory & Appel’s claims advocacy team can help reduce the cost and frequency of your organization’s risk with a team of claim advocates who will support you throughout every step of the claims process. With the help of a trusted Gregory & Appel claim representative, you can spend more time focusing on your business while we work with your insurance company’s adjusters.