Meet the team

John M. Word III is a product of the American Dream. He grew up in Louisiana, Missouri, and worked his way through William Jewell College by bucking hay for two cents a bale. After school, and with only $80 in his pocket, John ventured to California to pursue new opportunities and ultimately achieved tremendous success.
 
Today, John is renowned for transforming the California insurance broker’s role in the small group health benefits marketplace. Through his pioneering technological and marketing advances, he has created an organization built on providing Service of Unequalled Excellence.

John Word’s belief that benefits administration and underwriting need to be simplified and streamlined for all consumers underscores his ongoing efforts to find the next solution, the next innovation, and the next market niche.

Together with Edward J. “Rusty” Brown, Jr., John Word co-founded the Word & Brown General Agency in 1985 to market and distribute health plans through California’s huge brokerage community. John and Rusty are credited with creating Quot-O-Matic^®, the first of its kind quoting software that consolidated both insurance plans and rates, along with underwriting guidelines. This technology revolutionized the role of the health insurance broker in California, as Quot-O-Matic – for the first time – allowed agents to find quality health insurance quickly and accurately, at the best price for their clients.
 
By 1986, the company was recognized as the largest independent small group health distributor in the nation. That same year, Word & Brown launched CONEXIS, the nation’s first online COBRA administration operation. CONEXIS employed hundreds of employees and served Fortune 500 companies including Walmart, American Airlines, and Meryl Lynch. CONEXIS was sold to WageWorks in 2014.

John and Rusty launched CaliforniaChoice^®, a groundbreaking private health insurance exchange, in 1996. The enterprise enables small businesses and their employees to select from multiple health plans within a single program. In 2001, the pair was awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year^®” by Ernst & Young. In 2009, John and Rusty launched ChoiceBuilder, a private
exchange featuring only ancillary products (dental, vision, chiropractic, and life). Today, CaliforniaChoice and ChoiceBuilder provide insurance to nearly 600,000 members.

A highly sought-after speaker and collaborator, John has authored numerous articles, conducted classes, and delivered keynote addresses to vast audiences. His professional credentials include Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Registered Health Underwriter (RHU), and Registered Employee Benefits Consultant (REBC). In 2022, John received the Harold R. Gordon Memorial Award from the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU). This honor was given to John in recognition of his lifetime achievements and contributions to the health insurance industry nationally.
 
John has served as President of the California Association of Health Underwriters (CAHU), President of the Orange County Association of Health Underwriters (OCAHU), and Chair of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (formerly NAHU) Leading Producers Roundtable program.
 
Philanthropy is also a large part of John’s mission, both in his community and industry. John was a major financial contributor, as well as an active volunteer supporter, of Providence Speech and Hearing Center for more than three decades, contributing millions in financial support. With the seed donation, The Word & Brown Companies kick-started Providence’s capital campaign to fund a multi-million-dollar expansion/renovation project. In May 2007, the Word & Brown Hearing Center at Providence was opened and named in their honor. John also served on the Board of Directors, chaired various executive committees, including Governance and Development, and served as President of the Board. In addition, John, Rusty, and The Word & Brown Companies have supported a wide variety of other charitable organizations in the region.
 
On National Philanthropy Day in 2016, both John and Rusty were recognized by the Orange County Business Journal as philanthropists of the year in the Outstanding Large Corporation or Business (500+ employees) category.
 
As a result of John and Rusty’s vision, The Word & Brown Companies were recognized as a Top Places to Work in 2012 and 2020, and a Best Places to Work in Insurance in 2022. During the 2020-2021 COVID pandemic, John and Rusty made a commitment to all employees that their jobs were secure – a meaningful statement during a time of tremendous uncertainty.