TPA Real Talk: The Sweet Spot Between Big & Small Service Experience

Kara shares the personal side of her professional experience handling Third Party Administration. Find out more about her team’s people-first approach to workers’ compensation for clients in the first of this 3-part series.

Running a TPA was never on my vision board. I didn’t grow up saying, “One day, I’ll lead a company that administers workers’ comp claims!” But life’s funny like that; you follow one twist, then another, and suddenly you’re in charge of something you didn’t even know you wanted.

My path went like this: I started at a TPA, sold case management and MSAs, moved to a broker, became a global risk manager, and then circled back to the TPA world, this time as president.

At each stop, I picked up a new lens. As the broker, I learned how to sell strategies (sometimes a little too shiny). As a risk manager, I learned what it’s like to be the one living with the results, renewals, underwriting meetings, captives, deductible structures, and yes, all the messy claims in between.

Spoiler: the risk manager seat is where you really feel the pressure, because suddenly it’s not just numbers. It’s people. It’s reputation. It’s whether the Treasurer/CFO can sleep at night.

Now, back at a TPA with all those perspectives in hand, I see the game a little differently. Big TPAs? They’ve got every tool you could dream of, but if you’re not a mega-client, you can get lost fast. Smaller TPAs? They’ll remember your dog’s name, but sometimes they can’t deliver the scale or sophistication you need. My job, and honestly, my obsession, is figuring out how to marry those two worlds without losing the human touch.

But here’s the real talk: I don’t think I have it all figured out (and anyone who says they do is probably selling you something). What I do have is perspective, from every seat at the table, and a commitment to building a TPA that doesn’t just check boxes but actually works for the people it serves.

This blog is my way of opening up that conversation. Every month, I’ll share stories, lessons, maybe even a few confessions about what I’ve seen on all sides of this industry. And I want to hear from you too, whether you’re a risk manager, a broker, a carrier, or a finance leader. Tell me what’s broken. Tell me what drives you crazy. Tell me what you wish a TPA would do differently.

So, welcome to “Risk Manager Runs a TPA.” It won’t be jargon-filled. It won’t be polished within an inch of its life. But it will be honest, possibly embarrassing at times and hopefully a little entertaining. Because insurance may not be glamorous, but it sure isn’t boring.