FORTY under 40: Kyler Watkins

 Kyler Watkins, Regional sales manager, Pareto Health

Kyler Watkins’ career started in the Pareto Health “Start Strong” programme for recent college graduates. This was a three-month training programme that allowed him to hit the ground running when he stepped into his role as a sales coordinator assisting the sales team with incoming potential clients.

From there, he was elevated to the sales associate role, where he worked alongside the regional sales leads as well as working with the underwriting team. He was then made the regional sales manager role where he works directly with consultant partners and employers in the Kentucky region to educate them on the benefits of joining a group medical captive and taking control of their healthcare spending.

How did you become involved in captive insurance?

I became involved in captive insurance during my college years as a risk management major. Like many others in the industry, I grew up with a family member who was involved with captives and had heard the many insurance terms that don’t quite make sense when you are young.

From these dining room table conversations, I knew I wanted to join the insurance industry but wanted to be in an area that was innovative and looking to make changes. During my internship, I was exposed to the captives industry in deeper detail and to the ever-changing landscape of the field as a whole.

What are the biggest challenges of working in this industry and what do you find most rewarding?

The biggest challenges I have faced working in the industry are also what I found the most rewarding. To many non-insurance personnel, captives are a foreign concept and not something they have past experience with.

I find it extremely rewarding to help employers educate themselves on the captive insurance option available to them to fund their employee benefits. As much as my title and role are sales-related, it feels like a very educational role.

"I see the potential for employers to look towards captives as the answer for all lines of employee benefits."

Would you recommend the captive insurance industry to young people as a future career path?

Many younger people who aren’t introduced to the insurance industry by a friend or family member look at it as an industry dominated by a few large players with thousands of employees sitting in a cubicle. The captive insurance industry is a dynamically growing and changing landscape of innovative individuals.

I consistently recommend insurance, particularly the captives field, to younger individuals. The more young people we are able to introduce to the industry will increase the innovation and development of the industry, pushing us all forward.

What developments do you see ahead for captives?

There will be many developments on the employee benefits captive side. I see the potential for employers to look towards captives as the answer for all lines of employee benefits, both employer and employee-paid. As employers of all sizes look towards captives and self-insurance I can see this leading towards innovation on the cost-containment front, especially with the advances in AI we have seen.

Do you think your long-term future remains in the captives market?

I do believe my long-term future remains in the captives sector. This is an industry I am passionate about, and every day, I am excited to work with my consultant partners in the Kentucky region to help employers take control of their healthcare spend.

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