Higginbotham Announces Business Insurance Senior Executive Promotion, Appointment

Chris Rooker to Lead Division as President with John Schramm Brought on Board as Business Insurance COO

FORT WORTH, Texas , April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --Higginbotham, the largest independent insurance, financial and HR services firm headquartered in Texas and one of the top firms in the country, announced the elevation of long-term executive team member Chris Rooker to the position of President of Business Insurance, and the appointment of industry veteran John Schramm to the position of Chief Operating Officer, Business Insurance.

"As Higginbotham grows in every dimension across our platform, we knew we had to grow our leadership base as well," Higginbotham Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid said of the move. "We've been fortunate to have Chris Rooker on our team for over 25 years, and we got to know and work with John Schramm during his time at CNA. These two guys are icons in North Texas. Putting them together to lead the division — with Chris as president and John as his right hand — makes so much sense."

In their new roles, Rooker and Schramm will work together to support producers in offices across the Higginbotham footprint, ensuring the smooth integration of new partners as they find markets, create programs, secure accounts, and satisfy clients.

"I was honored to be part of the decision to bring John on board," Rooker said. "He has the background and the technical expertise, but he's also a seamless fit with our culture. He's smart, moral, ethical — everything you want in a leadership role, and a terrific resource for our producers."

Before joining Higginbotham, John Schramm served as Senior Vice President, Head of US Field Operations at CNA, one of the largest commercial insurers in the US. His perspective on the move to Higginbotham and the importance of his new role echoes Reid and Rooker's statements:

"I got to know the Higginbotham people and see the culture up close while I was leading an underwriting group at CNA, and I can truly say there is no company I'm prouder to serve. I watched them grow from just Texas to 17 states and 120 locations, and they're still growing. Now that I'm here, I plan to do everything I can to integrate those producers, ensuring that they have the support they need to best serve their customers."

"I am proud of what we've accomplished and I'm happy with where we are today," Rooker agreed. "But more than anything, I'm excited about our future. We've got energy and passion from new folks and knowledge and wisdom from us old-timers, and that's a powerful mix. The future at Higginbotham is going to be bright."

Chris Rooker received a Bachelor's Degree of Business Administration from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Texas. He is licensed in property/casualty, surplus lines and risk management with a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation.

John Schramm received a Bachelor's Degree of Business Administration in Marketing from John Carroll University in Ohio and holds a Charter Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) certification from the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters.

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 ranks by revenue today as the nation's 21st largest independent insurance brokerage. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Higginbotham serves businesses and individuals through locations across the nation. The firm specializes in tailoring programs to meet each client's unique needs, and in standing 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