Every day is full of learning

After graduating from the University of Illinois Chicago, Alex Kant began his insurance career as a public directors and officers liability underwriter on the carrier side.

In 2004, he switched to wholesale insurance and joined Risk Placement Services (RPS). Today, Kant is a Lloyd’s coverholder and executive vice president of executive lines for RPS.

During his time with RPS, Kant has designed management liability programs for disciplines including:

• Real estate
• Hospitality
• Education
• Public entity

He’s also learned how to lead a team of diverse insurance professionals toward a common goal.

“When I started in insurance, I never thought I would advance from raw deal flow, but as I’ve developed over the years, it’s the quarterbacking of different personalities and managing my team’s strengths and weaknesses/skill sets to best cater to our clients that definitely required more work than I was ever expecting,” Kant told IBA.

Kant said that learning how to delegate has helped him become a more effective leader.

“Building a team is immensely rewarding, and every day is full of learning,” he said. “As I’ve grown older, taking a step back and being introspective has helped tremendously in my growth as a manager.”

Kant also tries to set a positive, ambitious tone for his team.

“I’m constantly instilling in my team that you can never take your foot off the gas,” he said. “While you’re here, give everything you have – because before you know it, it will be over. This past year, giving my team my vote of confidence and entrusting them with roles and duties that may be far-reaching will only propel them forward in the industry.”

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