Announcing Tara Byrd as Chief Sales Officer
As our agency continues to scale, we believe our greatest momentum comes from placing the right people in the right seats. Today, we are proud to share a major milestone in that journey: the promotion of Tara Byrd to Chief Sales Officer (CSO).
Her promotion brings a dedicated strategic lens to our sales efforts and positions her to lead revenue growth across the agency. It also enables our CEO, Billy Potter, to focus fully on enterprise growth and industry leadership, an essential shift as we drive toward the future. Tara will report to our Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Goodwyn, further aligning our executive structure to support long-term scale. This move reflects the significance of the CSO seat and strengthens one of our greatest differentiators: developing elite sales talent. Strong sales leadership fuels not only growth, but sharper, more proactive strategies for our clients. With Tara’s leadership, we are poised to elevate both.
Tara has spent the past 11 years shaping the fabric of Snellings Walters. From her early days in personal lines service to her rise into executive leadership, she has consistently elevated every role she has stepped into. She has built one of the fastest-growing books in agency history, broken our all-time employee benefits sales record, and helped redefine what is possible across teams.
She is known for her sharp curiosity and innate ability to ask the question behind the question, consistently uncovering insights that move the agency forward.
“Tara is a forward-thinking, solution-based leader. Renewals used to feel like Russian roulette. Now, our team looks forward to them,” said Jeremy Engbrecht, President of CRIF Select. “It goes far beyond benefits. Tara has become my go-to advisor, and I am grateful to have her as a trusted consultant.”
“Snellings Walters’ special sauce is that they understand when you grow the individual, you grow the organization,” said Mike Crum, Head of Sales at Meritain Health. “Tara is the embodiment of that philosophy. Her leadership is grounded in transparency and integrity, and she expects the same of her partners.”
Don Doster, CEO of GoPivot, shared stories that reflect Tara’s depth not only as a professional but as a person.
“Tara walks into a room and people instantly know they are dealing with a pro,” Don said. “She is credible, prepared, and completely sincere. She once solved a major benefits issue for one of my clients in 30 days and made us look like heroes. Then she said, ‘Send me another one.’ That is just who she is.”
Tara does not just lead sales. She builds trust. She turns obstacles into outcomes and vision into reality.
“She guided us through seven years of healthcare challenges,” said Scott Luce, COO of Catalyst Tech Ventures. “She is extremely knowledgeable, results-driven, and one of the best problem solvers I have worked with.”
Please join us in celebrating Tara on this well-earned promotion. Her leadership is already shaping what is next for our clients, our partners, and our team.