#187 Podcast Episode:

Reinvent While Winning: José Suquet’s Story of Listening First and Leading Forward
Chairman of the Board & CEO, Pan-American Life Insurance Group

Host: Bart Berkey – Most People Don’t... But YOU Do! Podcast

From escaping Cuba at age two to leading a company that protects over 7 million lives across 22 countries, José Suquet has lived a life built on resilience, purpose, and people-first leadership. In this candid and emotional conversation, José shares how lessons from his seamstress mother, early sales experience, and decades of executive leadership helped him transform Pan-American Life Insurance Group into a values-driven organization.

This episode explores what it truly means to lead with humility, listen before speaking, and reinvent while you’re still succeeding.

1. Most People Don’t Listen—But Great Leaders Do

“God gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason.”
By listening first—whether to clients, colleagues, or family—José learned to lead with empathy and clarity. Listening creates understanding, and understanding makes every word and action more impactful.

2. You Don’t Need to Be Loud to Be Strong

Calm consistency and respect leave a longer legacy than control or intimidation. José credits his greatest mentor with showing him that leadership doesn’t require volume—it requires alignment, resources, and kindness.

3. People Over Policy: The COVID Story

During the pandemic, Pan-American Life Insurance Group paid over $300 million in death claims—even when reinsurance contracts excluded pandemics. José made the call: “We do. We cover them. That’s who we are.”

4. Don’t Wait Until It’s Ripe to Reinvent

Drawing from the Sigmoid Curve and Bart’s “green banana” analogy, José emphasizes the importance of reinventing during strength—not waiting for decline. “If you sit still, you're not cruising—you're being passed.”

5. Sales Isn’t Pressure—It’s a Promise

José sees selling life insurance as delivering on a deeply emotional contract: helping people when they’re most vulnerable. “You're not selling a shiny gadget—you're selling a promise.”

6. Broke, Not Poor

Raised by a single mother who once reigned as Cuba’s most beautiful woman before working as a seamstress in the U.S., José absorbed this powerful distinction:
“We were broke, not poor. And if you're broke, you can always come back.”

7. Title Doesn’t Equal Worth

Whether visiting the mailroom or the boardroom, José treats everyone with dignity. “At the end, the big guy won’t ask if you were CEO or in the mailroom—just if you were a good human being.”

💬 Notable Quotes:

• “Most people don’t listen. But when you do, the words you speak—and the decisions you make—matter even more.”

• “Leadership is about trust, not titles. Consistency builds both.”

• “You don’t need to make people cry to be an effective leader.”

• “We were broke, not poor. That mindset changed everything.”

• “We don’t just sell insurance. We deliver peace of mind—when people need it most.”

More about Pan-American Life Insurance Group

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