Thomas Longhta, CEO, Southeast Region, USI Insurance Services

July 2026 — In an interview with Invest: Thomas Longhta, CEO of the Southeast Region at USI Insurance Services, discussed how market volatility, rising benefits costs, climate risk, and technology are shaping insurance needs across Tampa Bay and Florida. “The most important strategy that a Florida employer can do is to partner with their broker to develop a customized risk strategy and implement an action plan to take control of their claims and loss experience,” Longhta said.

What key changes over the past year have impacted USI Insurance Services in the Southeast region?

There have been a lot of changes over the last year in the insurance industry and specifically in Tampa, creating new risks and challenges for our clients.

Those changes are affecting several areas. In employee benefits, employers are facing increased renewal pricing as the underlying cost of medical care is rising due to higher claim costs, utilization of care and increased compliance costs. This affects their ability to attract and retain employees, but also their ability to manage the cost of doing business in a complex and challenging environment.

For property and casualty renewals, the volatility in the insurance market creates both challenges and opportunities for our clients. As the property premiums have softened due to lower catastrophic claims, casualty rates are seeing upward pressure in some cases. These market dynamics create opportunities for us to help Tampa employers navigate those changes and complexities.

What trends are you seeing in employee benefits as employers compete for talent?

The employee benefits marketplace in Florida is changing. Compared to a year ago, we are seeing increased insurance premiums due to medical inflation, higher claim costs, and higher prescription costs. All of this is driving increased costs from carriers to employers.

We are working closely with employers to help them navigate those dynamics and take control of their programs. The goal is to help them mitigate and control their ultimate costs while still maintaining competitive benefits programs that support their workforce.

How is Tampa Bay’s population and business growth influencing demand for USI’s solutions?

It is an exciting time. I have been in Tampa for 26 years, and the amount of change has been incredible. 

The growth we are experiencing is creating opportunities for employers that are new to Florida. We feel it’s imperative to advocate for clients and help them understand what is unique about the Tampa Bay market. 

A lot of it is educating and partnering with clients to help them understand what the Tampa marketplace offers. It is an incredible place to call home and offers a great work-life balance, but it also creates some unique business challenges for employers that are new to the area.

What makes Tampa Bay an attractive destination for companies?

It is an exciting time to be in the Tampa market. The influx of new companies and new residents brings new ideas and opportunities that continue bringing innovation to the area. I am excited about the number of companies that now call the Tampa area home.

That growth creates opportunities for those of us who live here to continue expanding and evolving as a market. It also creates a great opportunity to partner with new employers and help educate them about the Tampa insurance market, including property and casualty, employee benefits, personal lines insurance, along with retirement plans.

How would you characterize the current insurance market environment for businesses in Florida compared with other markets you oversee?

The Florida market has unique challenges. In property and casualty, for example, the coastal and catastrophic property insurance market has changed from a year ago, and premiums have softened. There are other lines of business, such as liability, umbrella, and excess, where carriers are trying to pass increased rates on to customers.

There are risks and rewards associated with the current marketplace in Florida that are unique compared with other parts of the country. Because we are currently in hurricane season, so much depends on weather and natural catastrophes. Those events will ultimately impact the future insurance market, so we are very mindful of that as well.

Which companies are facing the greatest shifts in insurance needs and risk exposure?

The companies facing the most exposure are those located around the coast, where risk is the most volatile. It is important for those companies to partner with their broker to develop a risk management strategy that addresses the ongoing exposures associated with living in a tropical environment.

Companies need to work with their broker to make sure they have updated information on the business, property valuations, and adequate controls in place.

The most important thing that an employer can do, living in Florida, is to take control of their claims and loss experiences. That will have the most impact on lowering and controlling their total cost of risk.

How is technology transforming the insurance industry?

Technology is having a significant impact on the insurance industry in many ways. AI is becoming prominent in every industry, and it is certainly having an impact on insurance. Years ago, we started investing heavily in a proprietary technology platform because we believe technology and data are incredibly important. 

We invested in this proprietary AI platform to help our clients with problem-solving and improving the overall structure and outcomes of their risk management programs.

How is USI using technology while maintaining a personalized client approach?

Our proprietary technology platform houses data that we use for our clients. We use that data to customize solutions based on our clients’ specific industries and challenges.

We build knowledge-based risk management and employee benefits solutions that are tailored to each client so they can achieve the best available outcome. We are leveraging actual client experience and data to deliver innovative outcomes for our clients. Technology is helping us make those solutions even more customized to the needs of each client. 

How does USI engage with local communities across the Southeast?

We have a strong connection with our local communities. I am incredibly proud of the outreach our associates are doing every day. We work closely with our clients to support their investments in the community and to build long-term connections locally.

One example is our annual nationwide corporate social responsibility program, USI Gives Back. Once a year, we dedicate time to allow our associates to support local causes or organizations and be on the ground supporting their work in our community. It is a great event, and there is a tremendous amount of pride associated with it. I believe it’s so important to give our associates the opportunity to be part of local causes.

Looking ahead three to five years, what opportunities and challenges will shape the insurance industry?

There will continue to be evolution in Tampa and Florida related to weather, climate, medical inflation, and broader economic challenges and opportunities. All of these factors will create new risk challenges for clients.

Our clients will continue to need advice and direction in their employee benefits, property and casualty programs, and broader risk strategies. Risks will continue to evolve, and that is why I am excited about our opportunity to continue supporting our clients as an extension of their business.

Our commitment is to stay closely connected and work in collaboration with clients as new risks emerge in the future. We want to help them navigate an unexpected future and the new challenges that come with it.

What are your key goals and priorities for continued growth in the Southeast region?

We are going to continue investing in hiring, training, and developing insurance talent within the industry. The insurance industry offers a tremendous career track, and we are incredibly proud of our investment in growing the industry. 

We will also continue to utilize and take full advantage of our technology platform, while delivering and executing in a way that connects data and knowledge-based solutions to implementation and outcomes.

Delivering a best-in-class client experience is incredibly important. We want to develop long-term client relationships and partnerships. 

Lastly, we want to continue to invest in and support the Tampa Bay market. We are incredibly proud to be one of the largest insurance brokers in the market, and we want to continue growing, investing in the great talent of Tampa, and supporting the needs of our insurance clients and communities.