Jessica Word is Chief Executive Officer of the Word & Brown General Agency, the recognized leader in developing and distributing comprehensive health benefit plan models and insurance solutions through licensed brokers.
Jessica’s broad experience working across The Word & Brown Companies has given her great insight into different facets of the insurance industry. After working in several departments across the organization while in high school and college, she began her professional career as a renewal specialist with Word & Brown’s sister company, CHOICE Administrators. Her work highlights include sales, claims, benefits administration, and broker services. Her thorough understanding of the business has led to the implementation of process improvements to enhance both the broker and consumer experience.
Prior to being named President in 2013, she was Executive Vice President of Operations for Word & Brown, managing small- and mid-sized Group Underwriting, Individual and Family Plan Underwriting, Product Management, Broker Services, Customer Care, and Plan Maintenance.
In addition to her leadership role at Word & Brown, Jessica is a member of the California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) Board of Directors. She joined the business group in 2020. She is also a member of the Board of Directors at the Center for Leadership, California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), and an active member of the Orange County Chapter of the Connected Women of Influence.
Jessica previously served as Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for the Orange County Association of Health Underwriters (OCAHU). She is also the lead for the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) first-ever Technology Committee. She was acknowledged by NAHU in 2022 with the J.A. “Jack” Ferguson Associate Company award for her work in support of the trade organization.
Jessica was selected by the Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ) as one of its six honorees in the 28th Annual Women In Business Awards for contributions to her organization, profession, and the Orange County community. Jessica was an Excellence in Leadership Development Honoree (for Innovation) in 2020 by CSUF’s College of Business and Economics. She served as a mentor for the CSUF Titan Women’s Collective for the Center for Entrepreneurship, serving women in their senior year. She was a CEO panelist in 2019 for the “Connected Women of Influence” event in Orange County. Jessica has twice been nominated for an Innovator of the Year Award, given annually by the OCBJ.
Jessica’s contributions to the insurance industry led to recognition by CEO Today magazine in 2019 as a health care CEO award winner. She was named in 2018 one of the “Top Women in Benefit Advising” by the editors of Employee Benefit Adviser. She was recipient of a Bronze Stevie® Award for Women in Business in 2015. Jessica regularly contributes to industry publications including California Broker, Employee Benefit News, and American Benefit Specialist published by NAHU, as well as the Orange County Business Journal.
Jessica earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton. She has a Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) designation.