Risk Management Specialist, Partner
TrueNorth Insurance and Financial Strategies
Age: 34
Growing up in Vinton, Stu Haker always pictured himself living and working in a big city.
Now, he wouldn’t imagine leaving Cedar Rapids.
Mr. Haker is a risk management specialist at TrueNorth Insurance and Financial Strategies, and was promoted to partner in January 2012.
His father owned an insurance agency, but Mr. Haker had visions of becoming an advertising executive. He earned a marketing degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a MBA from Iowa State. It was his wife, who he had known since high school, who finally drew him back to Cedar Rapids.
“I love building a relationship with my clients,” he said. “It adds value to my everyday life.”
Those relationships have been a key part of his career growth at TrueNorth during the past seven years, where Mr. Haker is one of the top risk management specialists.
“I can help my clients reduce their costs over time, and have an actual impact on their business,” Mr. Haker said.
He is also involved with several community organizations, including the Leadership for 5 Seasons program in 2006, the Cedar Rapids Rotary Club, and serving on the board of directors for the United Way of East Central Iowa and the Cedar Rapids Metro YMCA.
His advice for other young professionals is to develop a “personal board of directors,” of mentors and trusted family and friends. He said his father, who still works in insurance, is still the chairman of his personal board.
“If you want to grow in your career, you have to be adding value and making trust deposits with the relationships you’ve got.”
-Sarah Binder
