Alicia Calhoun’s career shows how resilience and learning shape risk strategy

Alicia Calhoun, Senior Vice President and Senior Broker at CRC Group in Spring, Texas, is being profiled for a career built on casualty expertise, mentorship, and continuous learning. Her story highlights how early support, education, and relationship-building helped her rise in a volatile insurance market.

Why it matters: - Alicia Calhoun’s career reflects how insurance leaders can navigate a harder casualty market by combining technical skill, relationships, and constant learning. - Her story also underscores a broader industry issue: young professionals often need visible pathways, mentorship, and early encouragement to enter and stay in insurance. - Calhoun is being profiled by Influential Women as a senior leader whose approach centers on resilience, opportunity, and mentorship.

What happened: - Alicia Calhoun serves as Senior Vice President and Senior Broker at CRC Group in Spring, Texas. - Calhoun leads her own casualty-focused team. - Her work focuses on difficult-to-place risks in energy, oil and gas, environmental exposures, and onshore and offshore construction. - The profile traces Calhoun’s path from an unexpected start in insurance to leadership in complex casualty brokerage. - Calhoun’s professional philosophy centers on betting on herself. - The profile includes a link to Alicia Calhoun’s Influential Women profile.

The details: - Calhoun began her insurance career after Tammy Sherwin-Hanna advocated for her to get an interview with Jim Watson, who ultimately hired her. - Watson taught Calhoun lessons about relationships, sales, consistency, and the importance of showing up. - Calhoun says one of the most important lessons from that experience was to give opportunities to others. - Calhoun was born in Mexico City and moved to the United States with her older brother when her parents relocated the family for opportunity. - She was held back in second grade because she did not speak English, could not read, and had dyslexia. - A school literacy program helped her learn English and reading. - Calhoun points to the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation as an example of support that can open doors for children facing early obstacles. - After earning her P&C license, Calhoun completed the CIC, MLIS, CRIS, and CRM designations. - She keeps up with industry material, speaks with underwriters about market conditions, and looks for new information. - Calhoun says complacency has no place in insurance. - She views insurance through a risk-management lens, not only as a placement function. - Calhoun describes her network as including clients, carriers, underwriters, colleagues, and industry peers. - She hosts an annual crawfish boil in Louisiana as one way to build relationships outside formal business settings. - Calhoun is highly active on LinkedIn and is described as ranking among the top tier of social engagement within her professional network. - Her profile says she uses writing and thought leadership to stay connected to the industry. - Calhoun mentors emerging professionals and encourages young women to explore different roles in insurance. - She says the industry offers many paths, including retail, wholesale brokerage, underwriting, claims, adjusting, marketing, account management, and production. - Calhoun tells young professionals to protect their name and always give back. - She also emphasizes protecting peace and not letting other people’s opinions define self-worth.

Between the lines: - Calhoun’s career path suggests that casualty brokerage now rewards brokers who can manage complexity, explain risk clearly, and adapt to fast-changing market conditions. - Her emphasis on literacy, mentorship, and access points to a personal belief that advancement is not only about talent, but also about who gets a chance early. - Her profile frames relationship-building as a competitive advantage, not a soft skill. - The repeated focus on self-advocacy and reputation shows how Calhoun links personal discipline to long-term career growth.

What’s next: - Calhoun is expected to keep focusing on complex casualty risks, market changes, and client strategy at CRC Group. - She will likely continue mentoring younger professionals and encouraging more women to enter insurance. - Her profile suggests continued thought leadership through writing, networking, and direct engagement with the market.

The bottom line: - Alicia Calhoun’s story is a case study in how resilience, education, and relationships can turn an unplanned start in insurance into senior leadership. She is positioning herself as both a technical broker and a guide for the next generation.