6 Months In - A Conversation With Tim Cappellett

Earlier this year, David Benedict from our Underwriting team sat down with our Chief Marketing Officer, Tim Cappellett, for a quick Q&A aimed at giving our Underwriting team better insight into McNeil’s Sales & Marketing strategy.

You spent over a decade as a Production Underwriter before shifting into leadership here at McNeil. How has that experience shaped how you work with Underwriting today?

It gave me a real appreciation for what’s at stake in every decision. I started out nearly 20 years ago as a Production Underwriter at an MGA, so I’ve seen the business from the inside out – quoting, binding, living through audits, and owning both the wins and the losses. That background helps me understand where Underwriting is coming from, even now that my focus is on Sales and Marketing. In my previous role as RVP here at McNeil, I spent years making sure our Sales team was in step with the needs of our Underwriters. That mindset hasn’t changed – alignment isn’t just nice to have, it’s how we win.

From a Sales and Marketing perspective, what are you most focused on heading into the second half of the year?

Field engagement. We kicked the year off at West Point with a focused sales summit, and the message was clear: we’re getting back to the field, back to the agent, and back to the fundamentals. Since then, each TSM has created an agent engagement plan outlining how they’ll spend the next several months in front of our agents – listening, uncovering needs, and bringing opportunities back to Cortland to close. That’s where the momentum happens. We’re not managing from our inboxes – we’re building relationships, earning trust, and writing business.

To expand on his first six months as McNeil’s CMO, I sat down with Tim to reflect on alignment, execution, and what’s next.

You’ve now been in the CMO role for six months. What’s been your biggest takeaway so far?

That alignment is everything. When I stepped into this role, I saw a lot of good things happening – but they weren’t always connected. Sales was running hard, Underwriting was managing risk, Marketing was producing content – but not always in sync. My focus has been pulling those pieces together. The truth is, no one department wins on its own. The big wins come when we’re collaborating, communicating, and staying focused on shared goals.

You mentioned the West Point Sales Kickoff. How did that set the tone for the year?

That event was huge for us. It wasn’t just about goal setting – it was about alignment. We brought the full Sales team together, revisited our territory strategies, re-centered our focus on growth, and used the breakout sessions to hear from each TSM about their top priorities and challenges. We also had focused sessions with our Marketing team – who have since doubled, if not tripled, the amount of content and tools we’re putting into the field. From account win highlights and recently written emails, to LinkedIn engagement and targeted campaigns, we’ve taken big steps forward in how we tell our story and support the Sales team. And most importantly, it showed that we’re all rowing in the same direction.

What accomplishments are you most proud of in these first six months?

It’s not about one moment or one person – it’s about the team. I’m proud of how each TSM has taken ownership of their engagement plans and how our field strategy has become more focused. I’m proud of the Marketing team for stepping up and turning ideas into action. And I’m proud of the culture we’re building – one where everyone feels responsible for growth. The spotlight doesn’t need to be on me. The goal is to put our people in the best position to succeed, and when that happens, the results speak for themselves.

What does success look like for you by year-end?

More submissions. More engaged agents. More business coming through the door. But beyond that, I want us to be the team that agents and brokers want to work with. That means being proactive, being responsive, and continuing to deliver value before the quote ever goes out. We’ve got the right people in place, the right programs in motion, and the right mindset to finish strong. Now it’s about execution – and showing our partners that when you send business to McNeil, it gets done right.

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