Employee Spotlight : Angela Merrell

Interview with Angela Merrell, Client Executive, Client Service Manager—Marine Practice Group

How would you describe your role at PS&F?

I help clients navigate their exposures and coverage solutions. We negotiate with underwriters on their behalf. It’s great having relationships with underwriters where you can just pick up the phone and tell them you’ve got a problem that needs to be solved and be able to figure out a solution on behalf of the client.

What inspired you to start a career in insurance? What inspired your specialization in the marine industry?

My mom was in insurance for 35 years on the marine side, so she definitely encouraged me to get into the business. I remember asking her to look over my resume that I was going to send out to try to get my first real job, and she convinced me to submit the resume that she reviewed to the insurance agency she was at, and that was 25 years ago.

What’s something exciting going on in the marine industry right now?

There’s never a dull moment. February 20th is when P&I renewals are for 95% of the world’s oceangoing tonnage. It’s the date used because, historically, it was the date that the ice in the Baltic Sea melted that would allow for oceangoing trade for the original P&I clubs. All these years later, we still use that date. Besides that, between Russia and Ukraine, Palestine and Israel, and the things going on in the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, it’s a crazier time right now than I’ve seen in my nearly 25 years!

What is your favorite thing about your role? What keeps you motivated?

Helping people. When you get down to it, that’s what we do. We help people protect their assets. The rewarding part is when you see that somebody appreciates the help you provided or you were able to get someone to a spot they needed to be in.

What is the most valuable advice you ever received?

Saving for retirement. My mom drilled it into me from the day I started in a job that had a 401K.

Do you volunteer with any organizations or charities?

During the holiday season, I volunteer with the Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation through a contribution that PS&F provides. PS&F has made this contribution to the children’s hospital every year since the Tacoma office opened. We volunteer at an annual event called the Festival of Trees. You design and decorate a tree with a gift package that goes along with the tree. The whole job involves procuring all the donations to buy all the stuff for the tree, decorating the tree, putting the gift package together, delivering the tree to the auction winners’ homes, and making sure that it looks nice after being shipped. It’s a lot of work, but it is so rewarding and fun, and it just gets you in the holiday spirit. Last year’s event raised over $2 million for the Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma.

We talk a lot about the PS&F difference. How do you make a difference?

I think it’s about always being willing to learn and grow in the industry. My ability to learn things as I come up against different scenarios and adapt to the constantly evolving insurance landscape is what I think our clients need. It’s also about being helpful, understanding, and empathetic for our clients and colleagues. Being that person on the other end of the phone where you’re happy to talk to them, helping them through whatever it is they need, and then hearing the relief on the other end of the phone when you’re able to help them … I think that’s the PS&F difference.

What is something your co-workers would be surprised to learn about you?

I ran in the Boston Marathon in 2015!

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Anything that gets me outside is my happy place. Camping, hiking, dirt biking, hunting, fishing … I’m so impatient right now for the weather to turn just a tiny bit so I can get out there.

Tell me about your family.

I live with my husband and our four furry children. Two cats and two dogs. I’m a local; I grew up in Kent and I live in Auburn now. My mom is local, too. We have a small family, and I love having them around.
What is your favorite thing about your hometown?

There’s really nothing too exciting about Kent … I do enjoy the Northwest in general. You can get to the mountains, the river, the ocean, and go clamming or fishing without having to drive for four and a half hours. So I love the Pacific Northwest, just because of our environment here and having lots of places to get outside.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I’m very proud of how far I’ve gotten in my insurance career. There’s not just one shining moment that I’m most proud of … Maybe it’s in my future, maybe that’s why I don’t know yet.

What is your greatest indulgence?

Sweets before bedtime.

What is the quality you admire most in other people?

Honesty. I think it’s hard to admire a person without that quality.

What is your most treasured possession?

I have an old Honda 1970 Trail 90. It’s similar to the one my mom had when she was growing up, so I love it. It’s old, and it’s very impractical. I don’t get to use it very much, but I can’t get rid of it.

Who is your hero of fiction or history?

I don’t really have a fictional or historical hero … It’s going to sound cliché and cheesy, but my mom is definitely my hero. She’s a rock star. She grew up pretty modestly, moved to Washington State on her own when she was young, raised a couple of kids and a grandkid, and got to retire early. She’s just kind of a boss.

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