To help it achieve its insurance and banking goals, it named Keith Bouchey its CEO. Bouchey, who has an extensive background in banking, took the helm on October 1.

    Brooke Corporation is a holding company with two primary separate subsidiary companies: Brooke Franchise Corporation distributes insurance and banking services through a network of more than 900 franchise and company-owned locations. Entrepreneur magazine ranked Brooke Franchise 37th among the country’s top franchisers in 2007. The company has also been ranked the 22nd largest insurance company in the nation. Brooke Credit Corporation is a specialty finance company that originates loans to insurance agencies and related businesses. Brooke Credit’s loan portfolio currently totals approximately $642.9 million. 

     Bouchey comes to Brooke from First Community Banc-shares, Inc. in Overland Park, where he was director, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer. Prior to that, he was executive financial officer of Gold Banc Corporation Inc. of Leawood, Kansas. And for 17 years he was managing director of the regulatory services practice at GRA, Thompson, White and Co., a regional bank accounting and consulting firm.

     Ingram’s talked with Keith Bouchey during his first week on the job.  

 

What are your top priorities as you step into your new role?

First, to continue to communicate the message that the American Dream of owning and operating your own independent business is available and achievable. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive. That spirit is what Brooke Corporation is all about. Our business is to make it possible for people to capture that spirit and that dream.  

 

Brooke has some ambitious plans. What can you tell us about them?

Putting those plans to work is my primary responsibility.Not only is Brooke pushing to increase the number of Brookefranchisees, but we’re also looking to greatly expand our banking operations. We are introducing the Brooke Savings bank’s full service line of deposit and lending products as cross-selling opportunities to our Brooke agents. The first stage is to introduce these services and products to our existing agents, and then further expand from the Agent Bank perspective to also include the traditional bank lender who has a customer base, and would wish to create an Agent Bank under a contractual arrangement with the chartered institution. The point is to develop Agent/Bank relationships with customers in providing both product lines for customer convenience and/or in the delivery of quality, convenient, personalized service. This is where my banking experience will be of value. 

 

Describe your leadership style.

My parents taught me the importance of character and integrity. Those are the values that guide me as a manager. Plus, I think it’s important to be happy; to lead by being positive.I know it’s a cliché, but I try to remember that we were given two ears and one mouth; we should all try to listen twice as much as we talk.