As Senior Vice President of Claims, Eric Burtis oversees ESIS’s nationwide team of 1,200 field claims adjusters, all focused on optimizing outcomes for clients facing workers’ compensation, auto, and general liability claims. He also oversees programs for some of ESIS’s largest national accounts. Eric discusses his unexpected entry into the insurance field and what sets ESIS apart from other TPAs. 

How did you get into the insurance industry?

Literally, by accident. After college, I went to a career fair to interview with a company I had spoken to a recruiter about. I got in the wrong line, went through an interview, got a call the next day and accepted the job. I later learned that the job I accepted, as an inside claim adjuster, was not the job I had come to the career fair for. But it was an excellent twist of fate. I found my niche in claims adjusting and never looked back.

What do you think separates ESIS’s field claim operations from others in the industry?

We are a true partner. There is no one-size-fits-all approach here, and it makes a major difference not only in the effectiveness of our programs in reducing loss costs, but also in enhancing the claims experience for our clients.

In one word, what separates good claims adjusting from great claims adjusting?

Advocacy. When it comes to workers’ compensation, for example, I believe we are able to achieve the best possible outcomes because we are true advocates – and not only for the employer, but also for the injured worker. It’s how we manage claims. We also have designated team members called ESIS Care Advocates who work closely with injured workers so they understand that they have a partner in the process, someone who listens, understands their needs, and supports them in recovering and returning to their normal work and life. At the end of the day, that seemingly small difference in perspective can have an outsize impact in lowering loss costs for our clients.

What is a major challenge you see in the industry today?

One challenge – which existed before the pandemic and was exacerbated by it – is recruiting talent. Luckily, once people choose ESIS, they stay. We have very little adjuster turnover, which translates to excellent continuity for our clients. 

As an industry, we need to get the word out that this is not your grandfather’s insurance industry. We are extremely data and analytics driven, we use predictive modeling and wrap state-of-the-art technology around the human expertise we bring to claims adjusting to mine deeper insights, drive better outcomes, and leverage our adjusters’ expertise. Consequently, we are recruiting adjusters with wholly different skillsets than we did even a decade ago. At ESIS, we are passionate about what we do, and we need to instill that passion in the next generation of talent.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

What I enjoy most – and what gives me great satisfaction – is the ability to make a positive difference for others, whether for a client navigating a claim or an adjuster looking to develop and advance in their career. I’m an Executive Sponsor of the ESIS Women of Impact Program, which advances diversity at all levels of our organization. It’s very important that we are giving our people plenty of opportunities for personal and professional development. That is a priority and a very rewarding part of my job.

Years in the industry: 20+

Years with ESIS: 5

Hometown: Kansas City

What he doesn’t leave home without: My cell phone

The best advice he ever got: “Sometimes to go first is to go last.”

What he tells younger employees entering the insurance industry: “View your early career as a jungle gym rather than a ladder. The experience you gain early will set the stage for all kinds of exciting opportunities down the road, and the more diverse your experiences the more avenues of opportunity you’ll have.”

If you’d like to get in touch, Eric can be reached at eric.burtis@esis.com.