Want to get to know CreativeOne’s new president, partner and CEO? We sat down with the man himself, Mike Miller, and asked him the questions we thought you’d like to know. Read on to learn more.
Tell us about yourself and your professional background.
I’ve been in the industry since 1989 when Mark Heitz, one of the other partners here at Creative, hired me at American Investors Life. After graduating from Colorado State, I received a law degree from Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kan., and then an MBA from University of Chicago. Following law school, I worked in a variety of roles in the insurance industry. I worked at AmerUs where I served as an in-house counsel and chief operating officer for the annuity business. I then moved to Aviva where I held several roles, including general counsel, head of operations and head of sales and distribution. Before coming to CreativeOne, I was president of life insurance business for Global Atlantic.
What about outside of the office?
I was born and raised in Colorado, so I’m big fan of the outdoors. I love skiing, mountain biking, wine country and the Broncos. I am also an avid professional biking fan and former rugby player, so I enjoy watching sports. Additionally, I’m a Royals and Jayhawks fan. My wife, Gina and I have two sons, Kyle and Jackson. Kyle is married and works in Overland Park, Kan., and Jackson is still in high school.
What’s your motto?
My motto is to have fun doing whatever I’m doing. As that pertains to my job at CreativeOne, it means I strive to be approachable and open to feedback and challenges. I came to CreativeOne because I think working through complex challenges is fun, and I want to help the company address the challenges the DOL fiduciary ruling brings with it. Working in the industry during the legislation changes is truly an opportunity to work through something challenging and come out on top.
Who are your role models?
My role models are the people who inspire me to do better and whom I try to model my behavior after. They include my dad; CreativeOne partner, Mark Heitz; the CEO of Global Atlantic, Allan Levin; and Chris Littlefield at F&G.
With all the turmoil in the industry, why did you decide to join CreativeOne?
Like I said earlier, I enjoy a challenge and want to make an impact at an organization I believe in. The DOL ruling is a challenge all IMOs must face, and I truly think CreativeOne is well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities it has to offer. CreativeOne has tools and processes other IMOs don’t have that I’m eager to further develop for our agents.
I also joined CreativeOne because of the opportunity to work with people I’ve liked and respected for many years. The ownership team here is second to none, and it was truly a position I couldn’t turn down.
What is your mission and goal for CreativeOne (both short-term and long-term)?
Short-term: To help our agents navigate the challenges of the DOL and the accompanying regulation changes that come with it, so they can continue to operate without disruption to their business.
Long-term: To grow CreativeOne to be an enterprise solution for our advisors. We don’t fall into the same categories as a lot of IMOs since we have tools others don’t have—we’re a much broader financial services company. So, long term, I want to help develop and grow CreativeOne into a thriving, diversified financial services company.
What do you bring to the table?
Tremendous experience in the business—almost 30 years of it. I’ve seen the depths of both sides of the business and am confident I can help our agents and distribution partners realize efficiencies.
What do you want our agents to know about you?
I want them to know I’m solely focused on their success and building the resources they need to achieve their goals. We work in a highly competitive industry, so I want them to understand I will remain diligent on industry trends to ensure CreativeOne is always on the front foot, ahead of the competition.
Do you have anything else to add?
I’ve been completely impressed with the quality of individuals I’ve come across at CreativeOne. Everyone is dedicated to putting our advisors first! The desire and willingness to bend over backwards to help advisors succeed is inspiring. It’s palpable that they love what they’re doing and it shows through the success of our agents.
Lastly, I’m an open book, so if agents have questions or comments they need answered, I urge them to contact me or their team and get answers.