For Clarissa Franks, Lockton is synonymous with growth and opportunity.

An industry veteran of over 15 years, Clarissa joined Lockton in November 2023 to capitalize on opportunity – opportunities for personal and professional growth, client advocacy, and growth.

“I came from a broker that was constantly tied up in the numbers and margin,” said Clarissa. “I wanted to be challenged by opportunity and what’s possible, not what we needed to do to keep margins. When I met with Ron [Lockton], he was interested in me – not the numbers. And I knew this opportunity would be different.”

And four months in, she can confidently say Lockton is different.

“The people are the biggest difference. There’s a difference in the quality of the teams – everyone at every level is consistent,” she said. “It’s not just your superstar Producers – every team member is fantastic.”

But what really stood out to Clarissa is the community here at Lockton.

“The vibrancy and enthusiasm around our Associate Resource Groups (ARG) really struck me,” she said. “There’s executive support behind them and a lot of time and energy is spent cultivating these groups.”

Clarissa specifically mentions the Ignite group – Lockton’s young professional group. Clarissa recently had the opportunity to speak to the group about career paths, adversity in the workplace and finding work-life balance, amongst other topics.

“The impact of this group – promotions, mentorships, access to leadership and career experience - is powerful,” she noted. “Things are changing at Lockton and our ARGs will continue to help that.”

Something that continues to be at the forefront at Lockton is diversity. Lockton is a proud sponsor of the Tate Museum to promote the importance of DEI, artistic risk-taking, community engagement and access to art for all. An upcoming exhibit, titled Now You See Us and sponsored by Lockton, comes on display later this year. Clarissa, who is speaking at the opening event, sees the parallels.

“The exhibition is about celebrating women artists who refused to be boxed in by the stereotypes of their time,” explained Clarissa. “So often in the workplace, women aren’t given proper credit for the work they’re doing. I don’t think that describes Lockton at all. Here, women are seen and acknowledged.”

“People can be themselves here. They can bring their whole selves to a space where they can be seen, wear their heart on their sleeves and show their passion. I’m still new, but I feel like I’m at home.”