The year 2024 was a big one for TPG. Not only did we experience steady growth and hit big goals, but we added two firms to our team – Post Insurance (Meridian, ID), specializing in commercial insurance along with a small benefits team, and Amalyn Consulting (Scottsdale, AZ), which focuses on employee benefits.

These partnerships were a long time in the making – all parties involved needed to ensure compatibility in the marketplace, and perhaps more importantly, a similarity in our company cultures. It was significant to all that we share a sense of integrity with regard to our employees, clients, and one another.

It’s been about three months, give or take, since the deals were finalized and the whirlwind of gradual, intentional integration began. The dust has just begun to settle. So, we chatted with leaders of both Post and Amalyn to see how it’s going.

Amy Shuckhart, Benefits Market Leader, is the founder and former CEO of Amalyn Consulting. She spent more than 10 years with MetLife prior to founding Amalyn in 2011. She and her team joined The Partners Group in late 2024.

Andrew Elam, Commercial Lines Market President – Idaho, has nearly two decades in the industry, where he was most recently president at Post Insurance. He and the Post team joined The Partners Group in late 2024.

Patrick Casabonne, Commercial Lines Market President – Idaho, has grown a career in insurance since 2010. He held the position of chief financial officer at Post for more than seven years, prior to the recent integration with TPG.

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So, what are your thoughts so far? How are you feeling about the new partnerships?

Amy: Positive, so far! [laughs] We closed the deal on October 1, and Q4 is always a busy time for us, so it was business as usual. So we’re still figuring it all out. But TPG leadership is available, helpful, clear in their responses, and open to hearing about how we do business. We’ll all come away with best practices.

Andrew: It’s all going how it was originally sold to us by TPG! There is transparency, follow-through – it backs up everything that was sold. We’re just getting to know everyone now – it’s a lot but we have a ton of support from TPG leaders.

Patrick: The TPG executive team was always consistent and truthful with us, from the start. I also feel that we are adding value to the producers and commercial lines team, which is really cool, and something I didn’t fully expect.

And how about your teams? Everyone still processing this big change?

Amy: My staff feels good – paychecks and benefits feel good! We have a close team here, and the TPG team has been respectful of that and of our workload. It really seems authentic and genuine, which is refreshing! We’re getting a sense now of how it’s really going to be, and we’re happy about it.

Patrick: Overall, we’re good. But any change is concerning to people, you know? So having the TPG team there on the day we broke the news – that was significant. It made it feel like a true partnership. We all want to make sure everyone is comfortable and happy.

Andrew: I think everyone is becoming progressively more comfortable and trusting that TPG is what it looks like. We had very similar core values in place before TPG came along – one of our big things was being intentional. And TPG has that same mentality. So it just makes sense to people here.

What are your goals for 2025?

Amy: First is the gradual integration. We want to come away with new ways to approach business, as well as sharing how we’ve done things successfully. We are looking forward to increased stability, deep resources, being able to hire more consultants. I want to be bold with our story, once we get our arms around what it all looks like. We’re looking toward efficiencies along with explosive growth in our regional market.

Andrew: This is a big transition – slightly different ways of working, getting to know people, being a good teammate, and seeing where we can add value overall. We are looking to increase sales and revenue, and we want to find all the ways we can incorporate TPG resources into our systems.

Patrick: We would like to find and hire one or two new producers, see 15–20% growth, start cross-selling the TPG Boise book of business. We want to help with other acquisitions, and we’re making headway there. Our clients have been awesome about the transition – the timeframe is clearly laid out. The TPG story is so similar to ours – we’re big community supporters, we’re independent – so that made it easy to tell clients about the transition.

Finally, as we’ve discussed, TPG shares a set of very similar core values as those of both Post and Amalyn. From TPG’s five values – play well with others, have fun and live well, be curious, own it, and be a champion – which ones are resonating for you right now?

Amy: It’s to be curious. It’s what I need to be. As an owner to now a team member, I am working to be open-minded and always learning. We have a successful agency with purpose behind it here, and I’m looking forward to learning about what positive change TPG will bring. Being in the Southwest, we need to learn how to differentiate the market norms and expectations. I believe TPG will also remain curious, as this new region is unique.

Patrick: I’d say it’s to own it. Accountability is everything – our team knows how important this is, and we strive for it every day.

Andrew: I like the TPG value to play well with others, especially with such a big transition, for all our folks. Overall, success in doing business with team spirit goes a long way.

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The coming year is looking better and better! Learn more about our new partners’ firms at Amalyn Consulting and Post Insurance Inc.

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