Meet Caravus' Newest Team Member
It isn’t often clients meet the “behind-the-scenes” operations team helping with rate negotiations and summarizing numerous benefit plans. We’d like you to meet our newest team member learning the ropes in this vital piece of the benefits puzzle.
Jesse Sitze joined Caravus in late June as a carrier coordinator. Our carrier coordinators work closely with Caravus’ employee benefit consultants to bring clients clear and concise plan options. His previous work experience has helped him acclimate to his new position over the past few weeks.
“I have worked in the insurance industry in the past at American Income Life and Northwestern Mutual,” Jesse said. “This has been a little different route in the industry for me, but it was nice having a base knowledge coming into Caravus.”
A resident of Bethalto, Jesse already has his Illinois Producer license and has just completed 20 CE credits to renew it, both in the classroom and online. He’s also been honing his skills and getting to know his fellow team members. Jesse has been working alongside fellow carrier coordinator, Hillary Downs, and thanks her for “being so patient and answering my thousands of questions every single day during the learning process.”
“Everyone has told me to not hesitate to ask if I have a question from top to bottom. It really makes the work environment much more comfortable knowing co-workers are there when you need them,” he said. “I am working to develop a skillset that can benefit Caravus and its clients. I think that teamwork is something that I will be able to utilize initially by helping other people when I can and developing a positive relationship with the people I work with. But, I am trying to learn as much as I can – from as many different people as I can – to have many different viewpoints into the business and gain a well-rounded understanding of the work that I will be doing.”
One thing that truly impressed Caravus Partner J.J. Flotken about Jesse was the positive feedback received from those involved in his interview process.
“Jesse’s past experience in the insurance industry makes him an excellent fit for Caravus,” he said. “He’s a strong addition to our team.”
Jesse graduated from Western Illinois University in May 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and a minor in management. He’s looking forward to learning more about the culture and opportunities at Caravus.
“I have enjoyed my short time so far and look forward to a long time to come,” he said. “I want to say thanks to everyone that has helped me out and answered the countless questions I have had.”
On a Personal Note…
Jesse is a huge fan of St. Louis’ sports teams, especially the Cardinals. He’s also a baseball, football, hockey, golf and NASCAR fan. And, not surprisingly, his free time is often spent at those sporting events, as well as traveling, boating, attending concerts, and driving and riding in racecars. He’s also found an added benefit to working in Caravus’ Market Street location.
“The view out of the office is something I could have only dreamed about with the Arch and riverfront on one side,” Jesse said, jokingly, “and Busch stadium on the other.”
Welcome Jesse!