New Leadership at Word & Brown General Agency

Jessica Word Named CEO, Marc McGinnis President

ORANGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Word & Brown General Agency co-founders John M. Word III and Edward J. “Rusty” Brown, Jr. announced today the promotion of two senior executives. Current President Jessica Word has been appointed Word & Brown General Agency’s new Chief Executive Officer. Marc McGinnis, Senior Vice President of Sales and Strategic Client Management, has been selected as Word & Brown General Agency’s new President.

“We are very excited about the next chapter for Jessica, Marc, and the General Agency,” said John Word. “As we head into Word & Brown’s 37^th year serving brokers in California and Nevada, we know Jessica and Marc’s passion will help us continue to grow and simplify access to greater health insurance choices for our customers.”

“Jessica and Marc have decades of insurance industry experience and are a great team,” said Rusty Brown. “They are committed to our One Team philosophy that says each person in our organization plays a vital role in creating a positive customer experience for brokers and their clients. It’s a leading driver in our value proposition.”

Jessica Word became President of Word & Brown General Agency in 2013, after seven years as Executive Vice President of Operations, managing small and mid-sized Group Underwriting, Individual and Family Plan Underwriting, Product Management, Broker Services, Customer Care, and Plan Maintenance. From 2000 to 2006, she was Director and, later, Vice President of Broker Services.

Marc McGinnis was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2020, responsible for developing new broker relationships and expanding sales, including oversight of six regional offices and key agency and high-profile partnerships. Previously, he was a regional sales leader at Word & Brown’s former sister company, CONEXIS, for 16 years.

In addition to her leadership role at Word & Brown, Jessica Word is a member of the California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) Board of Directors, the Board of Directors at the Center for Leadership at California State University, Fullerton, and an active member of the Orange County Chapter of the Connected Women of Influence. She is the lead for the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) first-ever Technology Committee. She is a multi-year nominee for the Orange County Business Journal Women in Business Award and Innovator of the Year and has been recognized by CEO Today and Employee Benefit Adviser for her industry contributions.

Marc McGinnis was honored in 2021 by the Connected Women of Influence with its “Catalyst for Change” award. The group‘s mission is to build a strong, professional community that fosters growth, support, and collaboration through the development of high-performing relationships, alliances, and collaborative partnerships among women leading people, projects, teams and companies. Marc was recognized for supporting the advancement of businesswomen and a record of successfully mentoring and supporting women in the insurance industry.

Headquartered in Orange, California, Word & Brown has a decades-long history of helping brokers address the diverse insurance and employee benefits needs of small and large businesses. Word & Brown delivers innovative sales tools, industry-leading quoting, personalized sales support, a commitment to helping brokers increase sales, and a pledge to “Service of Unequalled Excellence.” For more information, visit www.wordandbrown.com.