Learn About My Journey
Troy Cook brings a wealth of experience and variety of perspectives gained from over 30 years of leadership, health care, benefits and sales. His extensive knowledge and research has been leveraged by a wide range of organizations, from small businesses to numerous Fortune 500 firms all across the U.S. Troy’s career success has been directly attributed to the successful process and system he has built to meet organizational goals and priorities by driving meaningful impact for clients and colleagues. As a frequent speaker, his presentations consistently earn the highest marks from attendees and event planners.
Troy graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1990 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. With his typical spirit to move ahead quickly, Troy graduated in three and half years at a time when early graduates were rare. Troy was a distance runner during his college career and secured corporate sponsorships to pursue his goals. These corporate endorsements offered him the opportunity to speak to numerous audiences on the value of health and fitness throughout his years of competitive racing. This period in his life allowed Troy to understand two important elements of his personal abilities. First, an innate ability and passion to engage audiences large or small with expertise, passion and humor to present information on a variety of topics. Second, a love of coaching as a way to impact others These skills have become foundational to his professional, and volunteer and speaking life.
Learn about the journey to success through my life story.
Professional Career
Throughout his professional life, Troy has driven success in every organization he has been a part of. He became a supervisor of an independent insurance firm at the young age of 24 after having started his own independent business unit while in his final semester of college. This lead him to a focus on employee benefits and healthcare. In 1998, Troy helped form a start-up office in Iowa for a national health insurance brokerage, taking the office from the ground to over $1.8 million in revenue in the first year.
He returned to the broker/consulting side of the business in 2002, joining with Krist Insurance, where he successfully built an employee benefits and financial services division. During this time, he and founder, Jamie Krist, also helped form and manage a wholesaling operation. Troy joined MMC in 2009, taking over a business generating negative net income. In just three years, using Troy’s formula for success, his unit generated over 35% net income, grow by over 10% per year, and retained over 90% of clients each year.
A hallmark of Troy’s career has been ongoing political and civic involvement. This commitment led him to taking a short leave from the benefits and insurance industry to serve as campaign manager for an Iowa gubernatorial campaign in late 2001 and early 2002. An experience Troy calls invaluable, as he was responsible for every facet of the campaign. When Troy joined the campaign, the candidate was polling at less than 5% and had almost completely exited the race. After Troy took the helm, the candidate lost by less than 2,000 votes in one of Iowa’s most hotly contested and tightest primary races in history.
Troy’s unique path and experience put him on the cutting edge of healthcare reform in 2010 as he became Vice Chair and then Chair of the National Legislative Council for NAHU. Speaking around the country on the healthcare reform debate and then the effects of PPACA, Troy became a sought-after presenter for his grasp of the issues and political insights. He continued to serve on the NAHU Board of Trustees until the end of 2015.
Troy has served on several local, regional and national boards and committees. He was named a Forty Under 40 business and community leader in 2008 by The Business Record in Des Moines.
Troy resides in Des Moines, Iowa today.
