California insurance agent Melissa Phillipp: ‘I can’t imagine doing anything else’

No matter what time of day, Melissa Phillipp’s insurance customers can get in touch with her. That’s because her cell phone number is printed on her business card.

“I believe in being accessible to my customers,” Phillipp says.

Phillipp, owner of Phillipp & Associates Insurance Services Inc. in Chatsworth, Calif., has been handling the needs of insurance customers since she was a teenager.

Melissa Phillipp, owner of Phillipp and Associates Insurance Services Inc., started her insurance career at age 19.

Phillipp began her insurance career at age 19 as a customer service representative for an insurance agency in Canoga Park, Calif. In 1991, she joined her father’s agency, White Oak Insurance Services Inc. in Chatsworth, where her positions included account manager and sales producer.

“I grew up in my father’s independent insurance agency. I am a second-generation insurance professional who has spent more than 20 years in the business,” Phillipp says. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

In 2008, Phillipp branched out to start her own insurance agency.

“Over the years, I had developed my ideas and vision of what my agency would be. My primary goals are to be an effective intermediary between my customers and the insurance companies we work with. I am a strong advocate and thoughtful adviser to those I serve,” she says.

Phillipp’s 350 or so clients include small businesses, property owners, real estate management firms and professional services providers. The types of insurance policies sold by the agency include property, casualty, liability, workers’ compensation, auto and earthquake.

Membership in professional organizations has helped Phillipp’s business thrive. She is past president of Insurance Brokers and Agents of the San Fernando Valley and has held several board and committee positions with Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West, a California trade association.

Being involved in trade groups has sharpened Phillipp’s advocacy skills. In California’s state capital, Sacramento, she has helped shape regulations and legislation affecting insurance professionals and consumers. The goal, she says, “is to balance consumer protection with the needs of brokers, agents and the industry.”

Another area of interest for Phillipp is mentoring young insurance agents. As such, she is active with the Young Agents and Brokers Committee of Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West. She was instrumental in setting up a political summit in Sacramento that teaches young agents about the legislative process.

“Developing young talent is essential to the future of the industry,” Phillipp says.

–Marilyn McCray