Scott Christensen, Director of Direct Channel Sales, Allstate Insurance Company, Lake Forest MBA Class of 2004
By Erika B. Seamon
It’s no accident that six years ago when Allstate, the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, was looking to build and grow a new Direct Sales Channel, it picked Scott Christensen to be a part of the team. Christensen, a 2004 graduate of LFGSM, has made a career of building new businesses and processes within a business. He is a true intrepreneur. Since graduating from LFGSM, Christensen has become the Director of the Direct Sales Channel at Allstate where he oversees sales of five product lines in thirty-one states through the call-center channel.
As a self-starter, Christensen has always sought new avenues for educational advancement. For example, before joining LFGSM, Christensen had already earned four professional designations in the insurance business (no small accomplishment). With over twenty years of experience in service, sales, human resources, finance, and operations at Allstate, and a track record for success, Christensen certainly didn’t need an MBA to succeed. Yet, when asked about why he pursued the LFGSM MBA, he replied, “What a great opportunity to learn from all different sorts of people from different companies and industries.” Christensen had always wanted an MBA but was never in one geographic location long enough until he moved back to the Chicago area. “I was looking for a program with a focus on practical applications, not just theory. LFGSM was a perfect fit,” he reflects.
Christensen’s enthusiasm for the LFGSM program continues, years after he’s graduated. “This sounds like it’s right from the brochure,” he admits, “but I would literally take what I learned in class and walk into work and implement it. As just one example, I had built a survey program for my Statistics class and incorporated the results into our local training program.” Interestingly, Christensen explained that his big “ah ha” moments did not come while he was in class, but rather while he was working. He explains, “I still find that there are times when I’m sitting in a meeting or trying to work through a problem, when what I learned at LFGSM really clicks into place. I think, ‘I would not have known how to approach this before my MBA.’”
Team leadership and an ability to work with multiple disciplines is a core part of Christensen’s success as an intrepreneur. “The challenge in my position at Allstate is to stay on top of changing customer needs and behaviors while simultaneously shifting the internal culture in the call-centers. This requires continual teamwork and motivation,” he declares. With a smile Christensen admits that the true test of his ability to motivate a team came when he was at LFGSM. “It was my job to get our entire group from Strategic Management class to Starbucks every Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m. to work on our project. This took true leadership!” he laughs.
Since graduating from LFGSM, Christensen and his team have stayed in touch. “Not only do I now have a whole new network of business contacts and personal friends, I have a whole new way of approaching my work,” he explains. In reflecting on his time at LFGSM, Christensen notes, “The LFGSM faculty and students taught me to start thinking in a new way.” There is no doubt that Christensen has returned this favor. As an active alumnus and business leader who has made a career out of continually thinking outside the box and motivating those around him to do the same, Scott Christensen continues to be a valued part of the LFGSM community.
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