The Badger Honor Flight
Featured Veteran in the Industry: Luke Strupp, Keener Insurance Solutions LLC, Germantown, WI
Submitted by Bruce Urben, The Hanover Insurance Group
The Wisconsin 1752 Club, in conjunction with the PIA of Wisconsin, are sponsoring a Badger Honor Flight for a veteran to visit their war memorial. Additionally, throughout the year we will be highlighting current PIA members who have served our nation in the military.
Luke Strupp did not grow up planning to join the military and serving his country. While in high school, it was probably the last career path he would have chosen. After graduating from high school, Luke went to college like many teens do. Shortly after getting to college he realized it was not for him and he decided to move back home. Luke bounced from job to job but did not have direction in his life. He decided one day to visit an air force recruiter and soon realized the military afforded the structure and purpose he was looking for.
Luke served four years (2010-2014) as a Senior Airman in Security Forces of the Air Force and his primary responsibility was flight line security with an emphasis on top side security of nuclear assets. Luke’s time in the military has had an indelible positive impact on his life and has given him the guiding principles he lives by today: service before self, excellence in all you do and integrity (if you always do the right thing you will be rewarded). These same principles have helped Luke become a successful insurance agent. His philosophy of always putting the customer’s best interest first has rewarded his clients and they know first and foremost he is concerned about covering their needs. Luke also points out that joining the military helps tremendously in time management skills. He has not been late to an appointment since he returned from active service in 2014!
When I asked Luke how he got into insurance he said it was simply through an extended family relationship. He knows our industry has a lot to offer veterans, but sadly there seems to be a disconnect in getting veterans to consider a career as an insurance agent. Luke suggests agency owners consider Facebook groups dedicated to people exiting the military, attend trade fairs for veterans and post positions on job boards specifically designed for veterans.
Luke is very glad he has chosen a career in insurance. He jokingly pointed out the biggest difference between what he was doing in the military to now is that he holds a mouse daily instead of a gun. If you run into Luke at one of the many PIA functions he attends, please make sure to stop him and thank him for his service. Without selfless people like Luke serving and defending our country none of us would be afforded the freedom we too often take for granted.