Below is a quick look at the partners that make up the Redbird Independent Agent Network. If you believe you would be a valuable asset to our team, we would love to hear from you!
Drew Gurley – Marketing and B2B Life Insurance
Drew Gurley is a co-founder of Redbird Advisors, serial entrepreneur, and avid blogger (mostly insurance). Drew is Redbird’s “Mr. Outside” with an emphasis on helping craft Redbird’s unique focus as an insurance marketing organization.
Drew’s passion for helping insurance agency owners create new growth strategies has fueled Redbird’s business model. Drew has consulted with hundreds of agencies throughout the U.S. in the areas of online strategy, customer experience and unique target markets such as high net worth foreign nationals, national associations, impaired risk life insurance, and agency growth strategies.
Prior to jumping into the insurance, Drew was an operations manager for a private equity firm in Vail, Colorado focused on high-end resort development projects. Drew also spent seven years as a firefighter for one of the largest fire departments in the state of Missouri. Drew is also a mentor for students in the Trulaske School of Business at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Aside from spending time with his beautiful wife and 3 children, Drew is a member of the Forbes Finance Council and YEC, an invitation-only organization comprised of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs 40 and younger.
Drew has a degree in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Todd Gurley – Strategic Planning and Branding
Todd Gurley is a co-founder of Redbird Advisors and serial entrepreneur in multiple industries. Todd has crafted Redbird’s unique positioning as a resource to help medium to large insurance agencies looking to grow outside their traditional footprint.
Prior to Redbird, Todd was a management consultant to Fortune 50 clients for more than 20 years in the areas of customer strategy and experience, brand strategy and positioning, marketing, market research and new product and service development. His clients included Lowe’s, Toyota, IBM, and General Electric. Todd spent more than 15 years in corporate America for IBM and AT&T.
Todd has a degree in journalism from Arkansas State University.
Scott Karstens – Advanced Life Insurance Planning
Scott Karstens is a co-owner of NFG Brokerage, Founder of Broker Back Office, and passionate about the insurance industry. Scott is NFG Brokerages Insurance Expert and leads the Life Insurance, Long Term Care, and Disability Divisions. He is a wealth of knowledge and as a producer was able to successfully sell more than $1 million annually through his property and casualty agency prior to joining NFG as a partner.
Scott’s passion for the industry provides agency owners an agents with growth strategies and comprehensive insurance solutions for their clients throughout the US. Some of the unique target markets Scott is involved in include; Business Planning, Executive Recruiting and Retention Strategies, Estate Planning, and Advanced Individual Planning Strategies.
Scott started in the Insurance Industry more than 17 yrs ago, starting a scratch P&C agency and after great success, became a Sales Trainer teaching other similar agencies how to position their operation for success. After several years of success, Scott moved into the Financial Services Industry where he worked with both Middle America and High Net Worth clientele as a Financial Advisor.
With continued success, Scott became a co-owner with NFG Brokerage and uses his knowledge and experience to help others. Scott enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. Scott is also a member of the Forbes Finance Council with Drew Gurley.
Jeff Pitta – Healthcare Strategy
Jeff Pitta has established himself as one of the up-and-coming players in healthcare field as the CEO of Medicare Health Benefits and Senior Market Advisors in Nashville, Tennessee. Jeff embraces change with an unparalleled passion and looks beyond the normal—the standard—and says there is a better way; not for the sake of change itself, but to leapfrog stagnant models and find new formulas for success.
While sales development is clearly Jeff’s strong suite, redesigning and reengineering the playing field will be his legacy as he continues to launch disruptive technologies and platforms with health plans and provider networks. Jeff is already a seasoned veteran of production in Medicare and Long-Term Care. One of Jeff’s biggest achievements was winning the prestigious Inc. 5,000 award and has made the list 7 years in a row. Jeff is a member of the Young Entrepreneur’s Council and Forbes Finance Council along with Drew Gurley and Scott Karstens.
Jeff is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Jeff is married to Julie Pitta and is the adoring father of three precious children.
Jason Buchheit – Career Agency Strategy
Jason, President & CEO of The Legacy Group, a career advisory firm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, offering health and ancillary insurance products for the senior market on a technology based sales platform to drive consumer sales and retention.
Prior to The Legacy Group, Jason was executive vice president and vice president of sales at Life Systems, a distributor of capital medical equipment and supplies. Prior to Life Systems, he held leadership roles in Fortune 500 companies such as ADP and Deloitte.
Jason is a member of the Medicare Broker’s Association and Medical Device Development along with his ownership in Global Medical.
Eric Salazar – Final Expense and Mortgage Protection
Matt Brown – Final Expense & Mortgage Protection Trainer
Matt Brown is one of the three founders of Unique Writers (UW), a fast-growing, California-based Independent Marketing Organization serving life insurance agents across the U.S. Matt is primarily responsible for all final expense sales efforts for UW, working with agents and managers nationwide. Matt spends time with agents while maintaining his position as a top producer for UW.
Matt began his insurance career in 1998 selling mortgage protection for a large Sacramento-based IMO and pioneered their Final Expense program. Matt worked closely with Mike Passaglia, an executive at the time with the IMO, and was given the company’s Northern California region to manage, the company’s largest territory at the time. Mike, Matt and Dan Newton later teamed up to start Unique Writers which was recently acquired by Kansas City based Heartland Financial Group.
Matt is a graduate of Chico State University with a Bachelor of Science degree.
Rafael Cordero – International Health Insurance and Financial Planning
Rafael Cordero is the eyes and ears for international health insurance products for the Redbird Independent Agent Network. He started his own firm, Alliance International Advisors in 2007 and oversees the firms’ international markets strategy and management.
He currently runs his agency out of Miami, FL (known as the Capital of Latin America and the Caribbean) and actively in touch with the best international health insurance companies.
Rafael has extensive experience in cross selling with investment banks, family offices and finance professionals, as well as years of coaching agents and insurance entrepreneurs in Latin America. He brings a very targeted set of skills to the Redbird network and had been influential in growing Redbird’s international foot print.
Rafael, a native of Venezuela himself, studied economics and holds a Master Degree in Finance. He is married to his beautiful wife, Diana and currently living in sunny Miami, FL.
Nate Broughton – Internet Marketing Strategy, Management and Investments
Nate is an internet pioneer, having spent 15 years being involved in many highly-successful businesses, primarily in the financial services sector. Today, Nate is a partner in the venture capital firm Plus2 Capital.
Nate is a three-time Inc. 500 winner with four successful exits. He was the chief marketing officer for VeteransUnited.com, the leading VA lender in the U.S. Nate was a partner in SuretyBonds.com, a firm which developed technology to qualify, quote and bind thousands of surety bonds. Nate also founded eligibility.com and is now involved in multiple venture capital backed startups in the bio-tech and insure tech fields.
Nate lives in Mission Hills, California with his wife Kristi and two sons.
