Provided
Jennifer DeMello-Johnson
Higginbotham, the Fort Worth-based employee-owned insurance, financial and HR services firm, has appointed Jennifer DeMello-Johnson as vice president of new partner growth and engagement, a newly created role aimed at driving organic growth for new partner agencies and high-performing recruits.
The position was designed to help bridge the gap between joining the firm and leveraging Higginbotham’s people, tools, and resources to achieve industry-leading results. DeMello-Johnson will focus on supporting agencies as they integrate and expand, while helping what the firm calls “five-star recruits” quickly build momentum.
DeMello-Johnson joins Higginbotham from Acrisure, where she served as head of sales and growth in U.S. retail. Previously, she spent more than a decade with Amerisure Insurance, where she helped launch and lead a subsidiary dedicated to supporting agency partners.
“Joining a new firm can feel like being dropped into a new city without a map,” said Higginbotham Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid in a statement. “You don’t need more directions — you need a guide: Someone who knows the landscape, who understands where you’re trying to go and how to get you there. You need a concierge. That was the role we had to create.”
The firm said DeMello-Johnson’s prior work with agencies that later became part of Higginbotham gave her insight into its culture and growth mindset, making her a natural fit.
“In a lot of ways, I’ve been preparing for this role for the last 17 years,” DeMello-Johnson said. “My entire career has centered on helping agencies grow — not just through acquisition, but through what comes after. That’s what makes this role so important.”
Said Reid: “In this industry, good producers are relationship people. They don’t want to click through a website to find what they need. They want to talk to someone. Jennifer is that someone.”