About Jens

#Insurance #EmployeeBenefits #CRE #Healthcare #BusinessServices #Finance #Leadership #PennState #NYUStern

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Introduction

Thank you for visiting my website! I hope this offers a little insight into my background, interests, and philosophy.

As I have posted on my LinkedIn Profile, one of the most influential thinkers on my own life and career was the late Clay Christensen of Harvard Business School. This idea resonates with me strongly:

“Management is the most noble of professions if it’s practiced well. No other occupation offers as many ways to help others learn and grow, take responsibility and be recognized for achievement, and contribute to the success of a team. More and more [young businesspeople think] that a career in business means buying, selling, and investing in companies. That’s unfortunate. Doing deals doesn’t yield the deep rewards that come from building up people.”

I believe that business success comes, over time, from a connection between hard work, technical expertise, and attention to relationships of all varieties (e.g. employees, customers, vendors, regulators, etc.)

Over my career, I have invested into technical expertise with formal education (undergraduate degree in economics and business administration from Penn State, as well as MBA from NYU Stern with concentrations in corporate finance and leadership) as well as professional accreditation (e.g. CLU, ChFC, CEBS) and licensing (e.g. various insurance licenses and federal securities registrations).

From a personal perspective, our family is a member of the State College community. We love global travel, books and movies of all varieties, and the Danish idea of hygge.

What Jens does

Some Experiences

Managing Member, ThorCo Solutions, LLC
(June 2021 – Present)
My consulting venture is focused on serving organizations and leaders in the following spaces, which I have personal experience and a strong professional network: insurance distribution, real estate, community banking, life science, private equity, and family office. I am happy to serve on specific projects (e.g. corporate development tasks), and also place products, as appropriate (e.g. insurance policies). I am also active in seeking the acquisition of operating businesses and real property with long-term business partners. If you are interested in discussing an idea, please call me!

Practice Leader: CPA & WV, USI, Inc
(2017 – 2021)
This P/E-backed firm grew, over the course of my four years, from a national team with roughly 4,000 employees, USD $1bb revenue, and 150 offices to a global firm with roughly 6,000 employees, USD $2bb revenue, and 200 offices. My responsibilities included sales leadership, post-merger integration work, and support for national training and development work; Local direct responsibilities included offices in Pennsylvania (4) and West Virginia (7). The opportunity to add hundreds of new relationships across the United States, lead teams in the context of the unique operating model and financial structure, and help sales teams earn new business in the mid-market was interesting and energizing!

Partner, The Hartman Group
(2002 – 2017)
Our team consisted of a commercial property casualty and personal lines broker, employee benefits consulting firm, wholesale eb division, retirement plan sales team and financial advisory operation. We operated from offices in the State College, Williamsport, and Harrisburg, PA areas. I joined the firm as a small group producer, became responsible for the wholesale division, and ultimately took the presidency of the employee benefits and financial advisory operations until consummating a merger with USI in 2017. Our growth and customer focus stand out as fun experiences which provide me with an ongoing sense of pride!

Financial Representative, Northwestern Mutual
(1998 – 2002)
I started my career (while studying economics and business at Penn State), by taking a role at NM as a financial services professional focused on markets of young professionals, university faculty, and small business owners in areas of insurance planning and financial advisory. Services I provided to individuals and families included insurance and investment products, retirement and education funding, and estate planning analysis; Services I provided to business owners included succession and continuation planning, as well as employee benefit plan management. I am proud of my vision as a young man to understand the importance of relationships and technical expertise; I love that I have friends today that I met as potential clients back in 2000. 🙂