Employee Spotlight : Emily Eckroth

Interview with Emily Eckroth, Account Executive, Technology & Life Sciences Industries

How would you describe your role at PS&F?

I like to think of my role as that of a professional problem solver. I partner with our clients to help them obtain insurance and manage their risk in a way that protects their profitability while also addressing the unique complexities of their business.

What inspired you to start a career in insurance?

Insurance is something I stumbled into, as is the case with a lot of folks in the industry. After graduating with a degree in environmental policy and risk assessment, I was considering environmental law and staring down the barrel of three more years in law school. But I quickly realized that more school wasn’t what I wanted. So, I decided to take a more technical route and started working on a GIS certification. While I was busy with a FEMA flood mapping project, my dad, who’s in the industry, looked over my shoulder and said, “There are people in insurance who do this kind of analytical stuff—you should check out underwriting.”

I took his advice and found a job in personal lines auto liability claims to get my feet wet in the insurance world. After a year, I found my way into commercial technology and life sciences underwriting and spent the next five years there. I loved the mix of technical skills and analytics, but I really missed working directly with clients and helping them solve problems. That’s what eventually led me to the brokerage side of the business.

What inspired your specialties in life sciences, complex technology, and manufacturing? What’s made you so passionate about them? ­­­­­

I’ve always been deeply nerdy about the sciences—I give all the credit to growing up on PBS shows like Zoboomafoo and Bill Nye the Science Guy. As a curious person, I’m naturally attracted to the space because there is SO MUCH to learn, and the science and regulatory landscape is ever-changing. There’s something new coming out in the space every single day, whether it’s a new biologic, an app, or a product that’s going to make people’s lives easier, which can be challenging for companies trying to stay relevant. Staying involved with the technology and life science community and keeping up with the ever-evolving regulatory and financial landscape to be a trusted advisor—someone who deeply understands the industries my clients are involved in—drives me.

What’s something exciting going on in those industries right now?

There’s a lot of interesting conversation right now about technology regulation and litigation in the U.S. While many of the regulatory frameworks developed in recent years—such as NIST’s Secure Software Development Framework, California’s Consumer Privacy Act, and the E.U.’s General Data Protection Regulation—have further protected consumers and their right to privacy, the introduction of new regulations makes it challenging for technology companies to stay up to date on what it means to be compliant. It’s leading to deeper conversations with our clients and prospects about their current data privacy practices, what further regulation might be coming down the pike in the future, and how we can help them navigate it.

What is the most valuable advice you ever received? 

Yoda’s “Do or do not. There is no try.” It’s such a great reminder to live life fully committed to whatever it is you are doing.

Do you volunteer with any organizations or charities?

I am a board member of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation. The IICF Western Division helps people in need in our local communities by awarding grants and providing volunteer support to nonprofits with programs focused on at-risk children, education, and human services. We support 55+ not-for-profit organizations across the west coast.

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

I think it’s all about the alignment of our individual values with the values of PS&F. Every associate within the organization embodies integrity, trust, and transparency, both with each other and with our customers. There is a deep respect and passion for continually improving and being the best versions of ourselves. Being employee-owned naturally fosters a culture of taking care of our business as if it were our own, and I believe our clients feel that difference.

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

I used to be a total band geek! I played the trumpet for almost nine years and did travel competitions and jazz band.

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

I love to cook, read, garden, flyfish, golf, camp, and spend time with friends and family.

Tell me about your family.

I live with my fiancé and our 20-pound cat here in Seattle. We’re getting married in September of 2025 after almost ten years together. My parents split time between Florida and Alaska and can usually be found working on some household project or down on the water fishing. My brother and his wife are also up in Alaska and are expanding their family by one this year—I’m very excited to be an aunt. We have a small immediate family, and we’re often all over the place, but we make an effort to travel and see one another often.

Where did you grow up? What’s your favorite thing about your hometown?

I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. I loved growing up there. I come from a family of outdoors people, so we spent a lot of time fishing down on the Kenai Peninsula, hunting, camping, and just spending time outside.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I hold the family King (Chinook) Salmon record at 69 pounds.

What is your greatest indulgence?

Diet Coke—less of an indulgence, more of an addiction. Also, sour candy.

What is the quality you admire most in other people?

Empathy.

What is your most treasured possession?

My book collection! I have 42 copies of Pride and Prejudice.

Who is your hero of fiction?

Hermione Granger.

Who is your hero of history?

Probably Cleopatra. I’m a big fan of all things Egyptian and Greek history and mythology.

What is a talent you would like to have?

I wish I could have a supercomputer brain—I’ve never been a big mental math person, so that would be amazing.

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