Who is Andrew Darlington?

Meet the Founder: Andrew Darlington

At Veritas Insurance, we have had the privilege of serving thousands of individuals, families, and businesses in East Tennessee and across the country. Recently, I sat down with our founder, Andrew Darlington, to talk about his story.

Tell me about yourself...

My name is Andrew Darlington and I am the Founder/President of Veritas Risk Management & Insurance Services. At Veritas, we strive to be the premier provider of insurance services in the Tri-Cities. Originally, I’m from Memphis, Tennessee. Now I live in Johnson City with my wife and six children. My hobbies include playing basketball, cheering for the Vols, church events, and taking part in my children’s activities. I currently serve as President of the State of Franklin Chapter of BNI and am an elder in my church.

What does Veritas Risk Management do?

Veritas Insurance provides risk management and insurance solutions in East Tennessee serving the East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Eastern Carolina regions and beyond. We provide every sort of insurance, but several of our agents focus on particular niches. Some of the areas we focus on are cyber insurance, insurance for construction and roofing companies, churches, YMCAs, and trucking fleets. 

Recently, we launched FirmSecured, a nationwide program providing professional liability coverage for real estate brokers. I have been in the insurance industry for 25 years and founded Veritas Insurance in 2009.

What is your role at Veritas?

My official title is President. As the agency owner, my day-to-day activities have shifted as we have grown. Early on, I did almost everything. Now that our team has expanded, I am able to carry out different tasks. I am often out in the community visiting clients and prospects, or participating in community and networking events with our referral partners. In the office, I help oversee our CRM systems, sales activities, and work with commercial and personal lines clients.

Andrew Darlington

Why did you found Veritas?

I have always had a passion for insurance. When I was 13 years old, my father passed away without adequate life insurance. My family struggled to make ends meet. Since then, I have committed myself to see that nobody else has to be in that position.
 
I am convinced that insurance is one of the most impactful fields a person can be in. When someone is in a car accident or diagnosed with cancer, I am often the first person they call. To be able to help people like that means the world to me.
Originally I was a partner in another agency. When we had different visions for the company, we decided it was best that we separate. Starting Veritas was certainly not easy. With the 2009 economy, the revenue I thought I was taking with me went down by about 2/3rds as soon as I started. Sadly, many of my clients, especially in the construction industry, went bankrupt in 2009 due to the recession.
I am very thankful for my family, who was behind me through all of the challenges. At the time, my wife and I were homeschooling our three children, and we were considering adopting two more. We had no backup plan in place, and at the worst possible time, we were forced to cash out our 401K and our savings. After that, we took out several loans to help pay for some of the bills.
Starting my business was definitely more work than I had initially expected. For the first five years of operation, we were unprofitable. I was working every day except Sunday, generally only getting five hours of sleep or less each night.
 
The process was much more grueling than I initially expected. But the outcome has been very rewarding. Today, we are continuing to see extensive agency growth, and our team continues to expand! It is such an honor to be able to serve so many people!

What do you want people to understand about insurance?

Most people think insurance is really boring. And I get it. For the most part, you are just paying money to a company and don’t seem to get any reward out of it. However, insurance is about protecting your most valuable possessions and those closest to you. It is a huge privilege to be able to help people, and I hope you consider giving us a chance! Feel free to reach out to our team at any time. We would be more than happy to be of assistance to you.

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