Leadership change Big I Illinois appointed a new CEO, Brett Gerger, effective July 1, 2026, with the former leader Phil Lackman retiring after 31 years. This presents an opportunity to engage on strategic priorities, member services expansion, and potential partnerships aligned with the new leadership's vision.

Membership scope As a trade association representing independent agents across property, casualty, life, and health insurance in Illinois, there is a broad potential to offer cross-sell solutions, technology platforms, and carrier partnerships targeted to independent-agency ecosystems.

Tech stack Current tools include QuickBooks, Calendly, SAP, Epic Systems, Microsoft Azure, Airtable, Adobe Creative Suite, and Zoom, indicating openness to cloud, CRM/ERP integrations, analytics, and collaboration tech that could be partnered with or upsold to enhance operations and member productivity.

Financial health Revenue range of fifty to one hundred million dollars signals a mid-market association with significant budget capacity for member education, events, and technology investments, offering multiple entry points for services and solutions.

Growth opportunities Recent leadership transition alongside active legislative advocacy suggests opportunities to offer policy analytics, compliance solutions, and event-driven programs, as well as scalable platforms for virtual conferences and continuing education tailored to a statewide independent-agents network.