The consultant I admire most in our office is Kevin. The reason for this is his work ethic, especially at the beginning of his career. As a new producer (my future?) you have to go through some especially challenging times and tons or rejection. In the span of a few year Kevin rose through the ranks to become the number two benefits producer nationally at Gallagher. When I asked him about making calls he honestly responded that he hates making them, but at first you just have to grind your teeth and get through it. I admire that attitude.

On a side note, I had an AWESOME week in Itasca as Tony can attest to. It was really motivational and made me really believe in what we do and my future role in the company. That is not to mention the insane cast of characters that I spent the last week with. Unforgettable times.

Best,

Rick in Seattle

The weeks are flying by, especially after spending the whole third week of the program outside of our home office in good ol’ Itasca. This was an absolutely incredible experience. It was a real eye-opener to see how large the company truly is with +/- 140 interns from across the nation coming together to company headquarters. The varying accents, cultures, and talents that were unique to each intern resulted in a completely different form of education that no formal training could provide.

Nonetheless, the seminars were all very useful, allowing me to return to Los Angeles better versed in AJG’s services. I also seemed to have discovered that the Retirement sector is something that I would like to become an expert in if given the opportunity.

Much appreciation to Liane for her hard-work, and the company executives who took time to meet with all of us.

The only complaint I came back with was that I didn’t really get to see Chicago; however, this is completely understandable considering we have so much to cover with all the training seminars.

It was a pleasure meeting everyone!

Thanks,

Ari in LA

Trip to Itasca was fun and exciting. We got to meet the leadership of the company, as well as, other interns from all over the country.

Workshops included:

Networking for Results

Corporate Headquarters Tour

Specialty Marketing and international

GBS

Regulatory Changes in Health Care

The Gallagher Way to Ethical Decision Making

Brokerage Services Division

Gallagher Basset

Retirement Services & Executive Life Plans

I had a great time, however, I love SoCal and happy to be back.

–

Vladimir from the Los Angeles Office

So first off, I had an awesome time in Itasca.  The program was great.  Each day was packed with things to do and interesting people to listen to and every night was a lot of fun.

For likes and dislikes of the week in Itasca: I really liked the structure of the whole program.  What I mean is, everyday was filled with things to do that were informative and important for our jobs not only as interns, but to become full time employees after we graduate.  I also loved getting fed breakfast, lunch, and dinner and getting to meet so many different people from every corner of the country.  For dislikes, I agree with Todd that it would have been nice to have maybe 1 day of the week scheduled for us to go out to dinner in Chicago so we could have seen some more of the Chicago life.  I also wasn’t a big fan of the tour of the corporate offices.  It just seemed kind of unnecessary to take interns on a tour of the employees’ cubicles and then the executive suites.

But all-in-all the trip was great.  Met lots of people and made lots of friends.  Those of you in southern California, if I got your number get ready for me to be hitting you guys up in August when I’m coming to town.

Best,

Mike – Denver

Back to work in San Francisco after a week of orientation in Itasca.  So many new relationships formed with the other interns, I am truly glad that Gallagher spends the time and effort to allow all the interns the opportunity to get together in Itasca.  It was fun to really get time to connect with the other interns from my office (who are located downstairs that I rarely see) and to meet new people from all over the country.  Shout out to Chris, my roommate from Plattenville, Louisiana.

On the learning side, it was very interesting to see the direction in which Gallagher is heading and how dedicated they are to their young employees.  The executives who came in and spoke really knew how to involve the interns and keep their attention.  I was truly amazed at the full scope of AJG and how large the company is becoming.

I really do think that some of the relationships I made during the week will become long-time friends and hopefully co-workers or clients in the future.

-Brendan, San Francisco

Hi everyone. I didn’t get a chance to post this before leaving for Itasca (which, by the way, was a great time).  Well everyone is posting about sports, but I enjoy backpacking, hiking, and camping.  (Of course, I have really enjoyed watching the World Cup). My first week has been great.  My impression is that I will learn a lot, simply by being immersed in the field.  I am trying to be assertive to invite myself along with the producers, and I’m trying to keep my ear to the ground for experiences that sound enriching.  I’m still feeling everyone out here — I want to be assertive, yet, not annoying.  I hope to show everyone that I am willing to work hard, and that no job is too small for me, but also that I am willing to get out of my comfort zone and try challenging things.

- Paul in Fresno