Local independent insurance agency appoints new leader, hires three
Byars|Wright, Inc., an insurance agency with an office in Homewood, recently named Scott Campbell the head of its personal insurance department.
The agency also added three new employees to support the agency’s growth. Debbie Mantooth, Jake Thibodeaux, and Kristy Slay joined Byars|Wright in March, with Slay joining the personal insurance department as Campbell’s first hire in his new role.
“We are pleased to complete the first quarter of 2021 with such positive advances,” stated Haig Wright, II, President of Byars|Wright. “The promotion of Scott and hiring of Debbie, Jake, and Kristy corresponds with our development strategy and adds strength to our team as we strive to increase our footprint in the area. These three new team members are stepping into distinct positions and represent the progress of three different areas of our agency. We’re proud to see growth stemming from multiple areas within our agency.”
As head of personal lines, Campbell oversees a team of sales and service employees whose primary focus is bringing in new business and serving Byars|Wright’s personal insurance customers. Campbell said he believes this promotion will allow him to harness his strength in operational efficiency and desire to contribute to the agency’s overall success.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity and looking forward to building upon our book of business,” Campbell stated. “We have a great Personal Lines team in place, including our newest Account Manager Kristy Slay, and a bright future ahead.”
A University of Alabama graduate, Campbell joined Byars|Wright in 2019 as the agency operations manager. He will continue his work in this role in addition to managing personal lines.
“Scott has our full confidence,” Wright said. “We’re excited to have Kristy as well and believe these moves will serve our customers well. With that department headed in the right direction, and Debbie and Jake expanding our commercial lines department, we are primed for continued growth.”
Debbie Mantooth is a bond account manager at Byars|Wright. She brings 40 years of industry experience to the team and has spent the last 20 years specifically focusing on bonds. Mantooth uses her expertise to support the sales team with new bond accounts and service existing accounts.
Jake Thibodeaux is a marketing manager at Byars|Wright. Thibodeaux assists the sales and service teams in placing customers in the best insurance programs possible by applying his knowledge of the current insurance markets. Prior to joining Byars|Wright and the agency side of the industry, he spent the last five years as an underwriter for a large national insurance company.
Kristy Slay is a personal lines account manager at Byars|Wright. Slay brings 30 years of insurance experience to the team and will focus on serving personal lines customers from the agency’s Gardendale branch.
Byars|Wright operates from five branches across Alabama, with three of them located in the greater Birmingham area. While Personal Insurance makes up 20% of the independent agency’s revenue, Commercial Insurance, including Employee Benefits, currently accounts for the majority.
For more information, please contact Lacey Rae Visintainer at laceyrae@byarswright.com.
— Submitted by Lacey Rae Visintainer