Apr 12, 2018

Western Growers expands insurance services with new staff

Western Growers Insurance Services (WGIS) is pleased to announce two senior appointments – Paul Barry and Kris Hansen – to further strengthen and expand tailored insurance offerings throughout California.

“As we continue to expand our insurance offerings in regions across California, Paul and Kris will play an essential role in directly delivering exclusive and second-to-none health benefit offerings to those in need of quality care and coverage,” said Jeff Gullickson, senior vice president of WGIS. “They are accomplished sales executives who understand how to provide the kind of client service and insurance counsel on which Western Growers has built its reputation.”

Paul Barry joins the insurance services team as a sales executive, bringing more than 10 years of sales experience. Barry, who has been in the employee benefits space since 2015, will focus on expanding Western Growers’ client base in Northern California and providing further risk management solutions to new and existing customers.

“When Western Growers made the call I knew I had to answer. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of a niche company that has been thriving for nine decades and in which their focus and mission is to protect and sustain the California agricultural industry?” said Barry. “Farmers, growers,shippers and packers all create such a tangibly invaluable and precious commodity through their unwavering dedication and passion of agriculture and I am proud to support them.”

He most recently worked for a top brokerage firm headquartered in San Jose where he was responsible for sourcing sales opportunities and marketing specifically to the unique needs of the client. Barry, who was born and raised in Sacramento, currently resides in El Dorado Hills, Calif., with his wife and two children.

Kris Hansen will serve as the insurance services team’s new Sales Executive. In his role, he will be responsible for brokering employee benefit insurance products to new and existing Western Growers’ customers in the Ventura, Paso Robles and Bakersfield areas.

“Being raised on a ranch in Bakersfield and a former business owner, I consider it an honor to use the knowledge that I have acquired to strategically bolster our insurance practice to help further meet the needs of our clients,” said Hansen. “I’m very passionate about the future of the agricultural community and how the grower of tomorrow can operate a profitable operation that can be passed down to the many generations to come.”

Hansen was previously a business owner for 27 years, owninga concrete construction company and an insurance agency.  He grew up raising cattle on his family farm in Bakersfield. Hansen attended Bakersfield College and CSU Bakersfield, and he is currently working on a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist Certification.

Western Growers Insurance Services, Inc. is the wholly-owned insurance brokerage of Western Growers and offers full-service risk management solutions to agricultural and related industry members in California, Arizona and Colorado. Since first offering health insurance and employee benefits back in 1986, WGIS has expanded to include property and casualty insurance, safety and loss control services and health care reform consulting. Connect with and learn more about Western Growers and WGIS on Twitter and Facebook.