News / Events < Vizance

This year, Vizance put an emphasis on giving back to the community. In partnership with The Hanover Insurance Group, a donation was made to benefit the Women’s Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The Women’s Center serves all impacted by domestic abuse, sexual violence, child abuse, and trafficking. They provide a range of life-saving and life-changing programs and services that heal and empower adults and children on their paths to build a future free from violence. Along with the donation, a group of associates from Vizance and The Hanover Insurance Group spent an afternoon volunteering at the shelter. They were able to sort an abundance of donations, assemble holiday food boxes, and helped fulfill holiday wish lists for clients’ families. It was great to spread joy at this time of year and maximize our impact with in-person volunteering. It was expressed that performing the simple tasks of organizing and cleaning frees up time for shelter employees to focus on more important things – which we were grateful to do! Vizance’s launch of the Volunteer Time Off program in early 2022 allows associates one day every year to spend volunteering for local organizations. This event in conjunction with Volunteer Time Off aligns with our company values and has allowed associates from all over Wisconsin to use their time to give back within their communities. If you’d like to get involved at The Women’s Center, visit https://twcwaukesha.org/

Vizance, a leading independent insurance agency serving Wisconsin and surrounding states, recently announced that Tom Schaetz has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Schaetz was previously the Director of Strategy and Growth and is both a shareholder of the company and a member of the agency’s executive leadership team. As COO, Schaetz will focus on accelerating the agency’s growth and business operations, in collaboration with leaders from throughout the firm. “Tom has a proven record of building high-performing teams, developing associates, and integrating new agency partners,” said Jeff Cardenas, President of Vizance. “His ability to consistently deliver strong results has positioned us well for future growth. Vizance is dedicated to remaining independent, and Tom will play a pivotal role in ensuring our continued success.” Prior to joining Vizance, Tom held various leadership positions at Top 100 insurance firms. Tom began his career at Price Waterhouse Coopers, and later consulted with hundreds of insurance firms during his time as Senior Vice President at MarshBerry. His specialties include assisting agencies with their growth goals and objectives, implementing best practices, and assembling strong teams. Tom holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and is a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC). “I am excited for this opportunity

Vizance, a leading independent insurance agency serving Wisconsin and surrounding states, recently announced that Rita Napieralski is joining the team as Regional President of the Racine Region, overseeing locations in both Racine and Kenosha. Rita comes to Vizance with a strong background from various roles in the insurance industry. Her career started in claims, then soon after shifted into sales for over 7 years, eventually becoming the Director of Sales at Wausau Signature Agency. Her experience in sales allowed her to develop strategic selling skills and execute sales development plans while managing her own book of business. In 2010, Rita moved to the carrier side of the business at Erie Insurance, where she supervised a Risk Management Region. She then became the Senior District Sales Manager managing relationships with multiple agencies and was first introduced to Vizance. Rita moved into the Wisconsin Vice President role, where she was responsible for the growth, profitability, and distribution strategy for the entire Wisconsin territory. Most recently, she worked as the Brokerage and Alliance Sales and Service Director at American Family Insurance. “I am thrilled to join a visionary agency such as Vizance, because of the commitment to independence and strong focus on associates,” said Napieralski. “When I considered this opportunity, I felt that the ability to join a team that I know and trust was something that I could not pass up. I am excited

Erin Konkol, Risk Management Client Service Advisor and Team Leader, has been chosen out of 1,500 service professionals to be Acuity’s CSR of the Month. What makes her stand out is her focus on delivering the best experience possible to her clients, and that shows in every interaction she has with them. “Vizance gives me the opportunity to do what I do best. I am here to give clients peace of mind by knowing that they have the right coverages they need. Forming relationships with clients and learning more about them on a personal level is something I also try to accomplish.” “Erin’s professionalism, knowledge, and attitude are outstanding. She has consistently shown a desire to grow as an insurance professional, while displaying exceptional enthusiasm and delighting her clients. Erin truly demonstrates Vizance’s values, and I’m proud to have her on our team,” says Jeff Cardenas, President of Vizance. In her over eight years with Vizance, she has taken on more responsibility and now leads a team of Risk Management Service Advisors. “I have learned so much from our leaders, which has helped me become a better leader for my team.” “I’d like to thank Acuity for choosing me to win this award. This is definitely an inspiration to keep doing what I’m doing and only get better.” Congratulations to Erin on this major accomplishment! We are very proud to have you on the Vizance team!

The “Best of” lists are yearly lists published by large cities and counties in Wisconsin, based on the votes from residents of that city. Sparks Insurance, a Vizance Company, and Chris Antonneau, Regional President at Vizance both won Hometown Favorites for their respective categories. Each community nominates their favorite places in categories like dining out, professional services, arts & entertainment, and more. Only the top 5 businesses with the most votes from the nomination round make it to the final voting round. Then, the top three winners are announced as the best in their community. With three agencies coming together in Kenosha, Vizance had a good chance of snagging a spot in the voting round for Best Insurance Agency. One of the Kenosha-area agencies, Sparks Insurance, joined Vizance in 2018, and is a true partner to the Kenosha community for their ongoing support and involvement. Sparks Insurance, a Vizance Company, took home the Hometown Favorite award. Racine county participates in the “Best of” lists as well. Chris Antonneau, Regional President at Vizance, was nominated in the Best Insurance Agent category, and was awarded Hometown Favorite of Racine county. Chris was an agency principal at David Insurance, which became part of the Vizance family in early 2021, and they have been a valuable partner in the Racine area. We are thankful to have the

The Milwaukee Business Journal published their annual list of the Best Places to Work, and Vizance is ranked in the medium-sized business category. This award recognizes the region’s best workplaces. Winners are selected from the highest rankings based on surveys where associates rate their company on various topics through an online survey. All winning companies in different category sizes were recently featured in a special section of the Business Journal and honored at an awards event. We are very proud to receive this award for the 7th year in a row. We would like to thank all of our associates for their participation and for being the reason behind this award!

The Milwaukee BizTimes published their list of 2021 Notable Women in Insurance, and Brandy Enger is on the list, along with her story. The BizTimes regularly publishes lists of top executives and notable women for a multitude of industries, including HR, education, manufacturing, and more. This year, they created a new notable list for Women in Insurance, featuring women in the Milwaukee area that hold senior level positions at their agencies. Brandy Enger, Vizance’s Director of Personal Lines, received recognition on the list. With over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, her accomplishments in elevating Vizance’s client experience and developing the next generation of leaders have catapulted the Personal Lines practice to new heights. In addition to her Director role, Brandy regularly speaks to students about the benefits of careers in insurance, and serves at the Vice President of the Volunteer Service Club of Pewaukee, helping to raise funds and supporting organizations that help women and children. Brandy is a valuable member of the Vizance team and we can’t thank her enough for her contributions in moving us forward.

The Milwaukee Business Journal published their annual list of Largest Wisconsin Employee Benefits Firms. Vizance moved up from last year’s spot on the list. In 2020, Vizance was recognized as the 13th Largest Employee Benefits Firm in Wisconsin. This year, Vizance moved up to be the 12th largest firm on the list, out of 22 total firms in the state. The rankings are established by the number of associates in the employee benefits division at each firm. Click here to see the complete list from Milwaukee Business Journal.

Vizance recently announced that Kenosha-based Valeri Agency, Inc. will join Vizance, Inc. effective July 1, 2021. Valeri Agency has been a leader in the insurance industry since 1959, offering business insurance, employee benefits, and personal lines insurance to their valued clients. Valeri Agency believes that insurance is a profession as well as a business, so their associates are always on the leading edge of insurance trends and technology in order to provide the best service for their clients’ needs. Jeff Valeri, an owner of Valeri Agency, said: “There were other routes we could have gone when deciding who to partner with, but we chose Vizance because of their alignment in philosophy and way of doing business. Vizance is a community agency, and over the past few years have become a great option for other community agencies to join with them. They realize the importance of continuing our presence in the Kenosha community, and look to support and grow the integral relationships we’ve built and developed over the years.” Vizance, founded in 1978 and headquartered in Hartland, Wisconsin, is a privately-held independent agency offering a broad portfolio of insurance, including risk management, employee benefits, and financial service solutions for businesses and individuals. The agency has been named as one of the area’s “Top Workplaces,” “Fastest Growing Firms,” and “Best Places to Work” by local media sources. Vizance has joined with several

Vizance extends a warm welcome to Matt Weimer as our Director of Employee Benefits! Matt will be overseeing the strategic direction of the Employee Benefits team, while providing oversight and leadership to the group. Matt comes with a wide range of experience from working in multiple positions at Diversified Insurance Solutions to being an Account Executive at Willis Towers Watson, working with companies that had anywhere from 6 – 6,000 associates. What motivates him is being able to solve his clients’ challenges and find the best solution for them based on their unique needs. “The energy, openness, and opportunistic vibe at Vizance is apparent. Everyone I met with knew what the organization stood for and understood the direction going forward.” We are excited to have Matt contribute to those Vizance vibes and look, think, and move forward together!

News / Events

Vizance Gives Back

Vizance Names Tom Schaetz Chief Operating Officer

Rita Napieralski Joins Vizance as Regional President

Erin Konkol Awarded Acuity’s Outstanding Service Professional of the Month

Winners in Best of Kenosha & Best of Racine

Vizance is Voted a Milwaukee Business Journal Best Place to Work

Brandy Enger Receives BizTimes Media Notable Women in Insurance Award

Vizance Makes the Largest Wisconsin Employee Benefits Firms List – Again!

Valeri Agency Joins Vizance

Matt Weimer Joins Vizance as Director of Employee Benefits