Why Tyler does what he does: Good people gravitate toward good people. Culture and integrity eventually always align.
Tyler grew up in Covington, Georgia, where his parents taught him and his sister the value of loyalty early. When someone trusts you with something, you protect it like it’s your own.
He studied Risk Management and Insurance at Georgia State University after starting at the University of West Georgia. In college he worked three jobs at once, including filling fire extinguishers in the building that now houses Snellings Walters headquarters. After school he shadowed some of the most experienced producers in the business and built a network of experts he still brings to every client relationship.
“I’m a connoisseur of information. I never looked at my production revenue or commissions. I never wanted that to guide me. I wanted the work to guide me. I wanted the problem to guide me.”
Coverage first, always.
“It’s easy to skip to price. Many taught me early that the bottom line was what mattered. Over time I’ve taught my clients the value of the pages before it. The endorsements, the exclusions, the manuscript language nobody reads until it’s too late. That’s where the real work lives. That’s where I live.”
“My clients’ personal information is safe with me. I value it because it helps me protect them. I silo it and guard it. Privacy is loyalty.”
A client once said Tyler “will move Heaven and Earth to get the answer needed.” He didn’t ask for that. It’s the standard he holds himself to.
Tyler is a true generalist. He has designed loss-sensitive programs, including large deductibles, self-insured retentions, and retrospectively rated plans, for clients ready to take on risk in exchange for control. He structures alternative risk financing for businesses that have outgrown the traditional market. He stays on the leading edge of parametric insurance, where the trigger is an event and the payout is immediate. He has also advised private equity firms through complex middle-market transactions: acquisitions, divestitures, roll-ups, and platform builds.
“I’m the one who catches what blows up post-close before it closes. Tail coverage, reps and warranties gaps, occurrence versus claims-made on merged entities, umbrella follow-form language that doesn’t follow anything. When companies merge, the insurance has to be rebuilt. I’ve done that work endorsement by endorsement.”
On showing up.
“At my clients’ toughest moments, I am there. Not after. Not eventually. There. I own my mistakes. And I celebrate the team and carriers on the wins.”
Coming home to Snellings Walters was a decision set in stone before Tyler knew it. He has made it his mission to help young agents coming up in the business, and he takes calls from producers across the industry looking for guidance.
Outside of work, Tyler has three dogs and enjoys the lake, CrossFit, and traveling the world.
