Custom-Built Role Taps DeMello-Johnson’s Expertise to Further Accelerate Organic Growth for New Partners and Five-Star Recruits
(Fort Worth, Texas) – Higginbotham, a broad-based, employee-owned insurance, financial and HR services firm headquartered in Texas, announced the addition of Jennifer DeMello-Johnson as Vice President of New Partner Growth & Engagement. This is a new position that focuses on bridging the gap between becoming a partner and leveraging the people, tools, and resources available at Higginbotham to achieve industry leading organic growth for new partners and top-performing recruits.
DeMello-Johnson comes to Higginbotham from Acrisure, where she most recently served as Head of Sales & Growth, U.S. Retail. Prior to that, she spent more than a decade at Amerisure Insurance, where she helped launch and lead a wholly owned subsidiary focused on supporting agency partners as they grow and perpetuate. DeMello-Johnson brings a practical, full-picture view of what it takes to help agencies thrive.
At Higginbotham, her role reflects a strategic focus on unlocking organic growth from within by supporting new partner agencies as they integrate and expand, and helping “five-star recruits” (high-performing producers who choose to join Higginbotham) hit the ground running with the resources and roadmap to build momentum quickly. It’s part of Higginbotham’s broader dual-growth strategy — balancing strategic partnerships with organic expansion, and equipping its new partners to do the same.
“Joining a new firm can feel like being dropped into a new city without a map,” said Higginbotham Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid. “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.”
As the role came into focus, so did the person to lead it. DeMello-Johnson had worked closely with agencies that would go on to become part of the Higginbotham family, giving her a firsthand view into the firm’s culture and growth mindset. Her strategic support during times of transition left a strong impression and made her a natural fit for a position designed to help partners thrive from day one.
“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. It’s the first time we’ve had a dedicated position focused on bridging the gap between onboarding and organic growth, and I think it sends a powerful message about where Higginbotham is headed.”
“In this industry, good producers are relationship people,” Reid said. “They don’t want to click through a website to find what they need. They want to talk to someone. Jennifer is that someone.”
