Q
You’re a third-generation CEO of The Horton Group. Was it always assumed that you would follow your father, who followed his father, who founded the company more than 50 years ago?
A
I always knew my family was involved with insurance, but I didn’t really know what that meant. In my early 20s, before I started working here, I randomly heard someone use the word “underwriter.” That sounded like a good buzzword, so I figured that’s what The Horton Group was. I didn’t really know what the business was about until my mid-20s. But no, to answer your question, it was not a fait accompli that I was going to join The Horton Group. My first real job out of college was as an airline pilot, which I thought I would do for my career.
All-Time Favorite White Sox Player: Carlton Fisk
Favorite Vacation Spot: The Florida Keys
Favorite Movie: “I like Quentin Tarantino movies. I don’t know if I have a favorite one.”
Favorite Musicians: Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers
Favorite Thing To Do In Chicago: “There’s an Italian bakery downtown called D’Amato’s. A friend of mine and I, we have this ritual on Saturday mornings—because we both have kids that are playing sports—we’ll drive into the city when it opens at 7 o’clock. And we’ll get pizza, cookies, and espresso and turn around and drive home. So we’re home by 9 o’clock, by the time everybody’s getting out of bed. It’s our chance to get away and get some good food.”
Favorite Chicago Restaurant: Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse
Favorite Dish At Gibsons: Chicago ribeye
Q
When you started out, were there difficulties in being the son of the CEO?
A
There’s really two paths you can go down if you’re the boss’s kid. You can think you’re entitled to a lot of things and all the assumptions that go along with that. Or you can try to out-hustle and outwork any preconceived notions, do every job inside the company, and not want anything handed to you. That was the path I always chose.
Q
Were there any surprises when you took on the CEO role?
A
I get surprised every day. I think the biggest adjustment was understanding the difference between what it meant to perform, whether it’s financially or the metrics, and then the culture of the business. The numbers part is very mechanical. The people part is not mechanical at all. And that’s the part of the business I learned is far more challenging to get right. But it’s the most important part, because we are a people business.
Q
The most obvious question of all—Cubs or White Sox?
A
I knew you were going to ask me that. I’m a White Sox fan. It’s really hard to be a White Sox fan, since they were off to one of the worst starts in baseball history this year. Being in Chicago, I’m supposed to have an appreciation for the Cubs. I don’t.
Q
What is something your co-workers would be surprised to learn about you?
A
I started a garden. I go through fads, like one day 20 years ago I decided to get into mountain biking. So I got a mountain bike, all the gear, the rack for my car, et cetera. I took off on my first ride, and I remember peddling up a hill and it got really hard really quickly. I remember thinking, “This is terrible. I don’t want to do this anymore.” So the latest thing is trying to plant this vegetable garden. It’s been taking up a lot of time, and I haven’t gotten a single vegetable yet. Check back with me in a year.
Q
What three words would your co-workers use to describe your management style?
A
“Impatient,” probably the top. Which is weird, because I often talk about how building a great business requires patience. And I can probably meddle from time to time. So a bit of a “meddler.” And “caring.” I think—I hope—our people really believe that, because at the end of the day, I care a lot about the firm, our people, and our clients. So “patient,” little bit of a “meddler,” and “caring” would probably be three that I can live with.
Q
If you could change one thing about the insurance industry, what would it be?
A
The inefficiency in terms of how information is transmitted back and forth.
Q
What gives you your leader’s edge in this business?
A
I think a deep understanding of the business. That sounds vague and sort of obvious. But confidence comes from understanding the details. Can you see the big picture but also get down to the required level of detail to make that vision a reality? I really try to understand all the required level of details.
