The rapidly growing team at The DBL Center adds another name to our list of insurance experts ready to help our brokers with required benefits in specific states along with ancillary and group benefits across the U.S. The DBL Center recently appointed John Byrne Jr., formerly with Principal Financial Group, as Group Benefits Sales Representative.
Byrne has worked with Principal for the past four years, joining just prior to the pandemic in their group benefits division. Before that, he worked as a Broker and Financial Advisor with the National Financial Network, part of the Guardian Agency Network.
“It was challenging during COVID to break into the employee benefits space,” Byrne said, echoing the sentiment of many insurance professionals. “I had to get creative finding new and different ways to develop relationships, including leveraging LinkedIn and Zoom.”
Today, he enters The DBL Center with expertise in ancillary benefits, and looks forward to taking all he learned at his former companies to help The DBL Center brokers grow their books of business. “I mentioned how important relationship building was during the pandemic, but today, I also have a broad depth of knowledge to bring to the table,” he said.
His enthusiasm and work ethic make Byrne right at home at The DBL Center, where owner Michael Cohen is often praised for his own work ethic and “boots on the ground” ethos. “Mike’s passion and the level at which he’s involved with everything he does [is] outstanding,” Byrne said. “It goes to show how much he cares and how much he’s willing to get in the trenches with the people he works with. It’s a great opportunity to be able to work with someone that devoted, who invests all that time and energy into making those around him successful.”
Cohen first encountered Byrne at Principal, which is one of The DBL Center’s top-rated carriers, and was drawn to his work ethic and willingness to learn during the pandemic. “As The DBL Center expands so quickly, one of my top priorities has been to bring in a team that can help us continue to grow. John Byrne has the knowledge and expertise to show our brokers the advantages of upselling group benefits bundled with required disability and paid family and medical leave. He’s demonstrated his ability to go above-and-beyond when it comes to servicing accounts. I’m proud and excited to welcome him to our DBL Center family.
