Higginbotham Names Jennifer DeMello-Johnson Vice President of New Partner Growth & Engagement

Custom-Built Role Taps DeMello-Johnson's Expertise to Further Accelerate Organic Growth for New Partners and Five-Star Recruits

FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Higginbotham, a broad-based, employee-owned insurance, financial and HR services firm headquartered in Texas, announced the addition of Jennifer DeMello-Johnson as Vice President of New Partner Growth & Engagement. This is a new position that focuses on bridging the gap between becoming a partner and leveraging the people, tools, and resources available at Higginbotham to achieve industry leading organic growth for new partners and top-performing recruits.

DeMello-Johnson comes to Higginbotham from Acrisure, where she most recently served as Head of Sales & Growth, U.S. Retail. Prior to that, she spent more than a decade at Amerisure Insurance, where she helped launch and lead a wholly owned subsidiary focused on supporting agency partners as they grow and perpetuate. DeMello-Johnson brings a practical, full-picture view of what it takes to help agencies thrive.

At Higginbotham, her role reflects a strategic focus on unlocking organic growth from within by supporting new partner agencies as they integrate and expand, and helping "five-star recruits" (high-performing producers who choose to join Higginbotham) hit the ground running with the resources and roadmap to build momentum quickly. It's part of Higginbotham's broader dual-growth strategy — balancing strategic partnerships with organic expansion, and equipping its new partners to do the same.

"Joining a new firm can feel like being dropped into a new city without a map," said Higginbotham Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid. "You don't need more directions — you need a guide: someone who knows the landscape, who understands where you're trying to go and how to get you there. You need a concierge. That was the role we had to create."

As the role came into focus, so did the person to lead it. DeMello-Johnson had worked closely with agencies that would go on to become part of the Higginbotham family, giving her a firsthand view into the firm's culture and growth mindset. Her strategic support during times of transition left a strong impression and made her a natural fit for a position designed to help partners thrive from day one.

"In a lot of ways, I've been preparing for this role for the last 17 years," DeMello-Johnson said. "My entire career has centered on helping agencies grow — not just through acquisition, but through what comes after. That's what makes this role so important. It's the first time we've had a dedicated position focused on bridging the gap between onboarding and organic growth, and I think it sends a powerful message about where Higginbotham is headed."

"In this industry, good producers are relationship people," Reid said. "They don't want to click through a website to find what they need. They want to talk to someone. Jennifer is that someone."

ABOUT HIGGINBOTHAM

Higginbotham is a single source solution for insurance, financial and HR/employee benefits services. The employee-owned firm was established in 1948 and today ranks as the nation's 18th largest independent insurance brokerage by revenue, according to The Hales Report by Dowling Hales, a leading authority in insurance M&A. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Higginbotham serves businesses and individuals through locations across the country. The firm specializes in tailoring programs to meet each client's unique needs and stands by those programs with their Day Two Services®, which provide proactive customer support through the life of each policy.

Higginbotham is a values-driven firm that strives to be family to employees, accountable to clients, teammates to carriers, and generous to communities.

Visit higginbotham.com for more information.

SOURCE Higginbotham