Norman Ross, President
Building Trust and Relationships in Helping Clients Plan for the Future
Norman Ross is in many ways the embodiment of a servant-leader. Service to clients and creating value in relationships are the most important principles in his approach to solving complex problems, whether related to estate planning, business succession, or any other challenge that could be faced by a wealthy or affluent individual or family.
This is the approach Norman has employed during his years leading The Ross Companies, which is a continuation of the ethics and values of his late father, Arnold, who led the company for many decades. For Norman, the insurance aspect of the business, while it pays the bills, would be the last step in the relationship.
The first step in Norman’s approach comes with creating clarity for clients to understand the complications they are facing, and to determine the correct path to follow in building a solution. Problems come in many shapes: continuing a family business, identifying a possible area of dispute with an asset and crafting a resolution before there’s a problem, or building solutions for estate taxes. Over many years, problems that appear similar have very different resolutions because ultimately solutions require making different kinds of people feel comfortable. It is very important for Norman for everyone to feel at ease with the process before taking those next steps.
In meeting Norman, it’s evident that the values that inform this approach are heartfelt. His engagement is deliberately low key and gentle, which reflects his personality. Norman wants The Ross Companies and himself to be a valuable source of guidance and problem solving for clients.
He isn’t only an asset for clients. Leading tax accountants, attorneys, and financial advisors will introduce clients to Norman because of the device and insight he brings to difficult financial matters. Norman is cautious in reviewing and assessing assets and the insurance protecting them to ensure that suitable policies are in place. It’s never a “change for change’s sake” proposition for Norman; it is finding the solution that is optimal today and for the foreseeable future.
Norman is somewhat a rare type in this business because he is a second-generation broker. Like his father Arnold, Norman is not a hard-sell insurance guy and is more interested in assessing and solving problems than making a sale. Working under his father as his career took shape gave Norman an incredible level of exposure to the details of planning that go into many succession, gift, or compensation solutions. His results come with exceptional attention to detail, and he can walk a client through every step, carefully quantifying each decision.
Because of his approach and personality, Norman builds an exceptional level of trust with clients and their legal and financial advisors, and these relationships have proven to be long lasting. Although he is an insurance broker by trade, Norman views his role much like that of a doctor or lawyer, and client confidentiality is something he guards fiercely.
“How I can be of help is one of the first thoughts in my mind when I sit down with a client or advisor.” -Norman Ross
Today, Norman is evolving The Ross Companies in his own image. He has right-sized the company for the modern era and has expanded the footprint to include the main operation in New York City, and a secondary operation in Austin, Texas. While a native New Yorker like Norman will always see Manhattan as home, Austin is proving to be an exciting new chapter, especially with companies such as Amazon, Google, Meta, SpaceX, Tesla, Dell, Oracle, and Apple with significant operations in and around the Texas capital.
The Ross Companies is the only place Norman has worked since his graduation from Denison University. Norman has earned a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation from the American College of Financial Services. He is a longstanding member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals and Finseca, the trade organization of financial security professionals trade organization. Like his father, Norman is a member of the Million Dollar Round Table and has served as president of the Yale Club Insurance Study Group, the oldest and longest continuously operating life insurance study group in the country. Norman has published and spoken on the technical aspects of successfully incorporating life insurance solutions into complex financial plans.
Outside of his professional work, Norman has been a member of the Planned Giving Advisory Council of the New York Presbyterian Hospital.