Colina Insurance Limited’s salespeople are a pivotal component of its success, and the company’s President’s Club acknowledges their importance, celebrates their success, and incentivizes their performance, with the two top-producing salespeople being conferred the titles of president and vice president.

“Those titles are not achieved easily,” said Sandra Smith, executive salesperson at Colina, the company’s top-performing salesperson of the year, and the current president of its President’s Club.

“We have to go out there and find clients, build relationships, educate people about the benefits of insurance, and assist people in securing their financial future. It is challenging work, but it is also very satisfying to help people.”

Sandra, who has been employed at Colina for 32 years, continued: “We have to convince people to not only buy a policy, but to keep it. Of course, there are other insurance companies out there, but I tell people that there is no other company that can beat Colina’s products and services.”

Established over 20 years ago, the President’s Club was created to inspire, honor and reward Colina’s highest-performing salespeople.

At the heart of the club is a proud tradition of leadership. Each year, the two top-producing salespeople earn the distinguished titles of president and vice president, positions that symbolize the highest level of production excellence within the company. All other qualifying members are recognized as officers of the President’s Club. These appointments reflect not only exceptional production but also leadership, professionalism, and a commitment to serving clients with excellence.

Latarsha Cleare, an executive salesperson at Colina for 19 years, the company’s second-highest performing salesperson of the year, and the current vice president of its President’s Club, highlighted the pride and status that surrounds achieving high sales numbers at Colina.

“You are recognized and celebrated at the company, you are treated accordingly as a vice president or president, and that definitely motivates you,” she said.

“You have to get up and go, every day. You have to achieve a very high level of dedication, and you have to constantly motivate yourself to achieve those titles,” she added.

Latarsha is certainly no stranger to success, as she was the previous president and just missed out on repeating the feat, such is her discipline and work ethic.

“In 2024 I was the president. It feels good when you are at the top, it is something that you just want to keep achieving.”

Among her recent accomplishments are Top Producer of the Year, Seasoned Salesperson of the Year, the Individual Medical Award, the Quality Life Award, the Century Club Award, President’s Club Officer, Gold Qualifier, and Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Qualifier.

“The awards give you motivation to work a little harder and to push, but my daughter is definitely my main inspiration to get up every day and to work, to want to do better,” she said.

“When you push harder, not only are you compensated, you are also educating clients about the value and benefits of insurance, guiding them in terms of finding policies that fit their circumstances and their budgets, helping them to protect themselves financially and secure the future of their families,” Latarsha pointed out.

Throughout its history, earning a place in the President’s Club has represented one of the highest honors at Colina. Its salespeople dedicate themselves each year to achieving the production standards required for qualification. The opportunity to achieve the President’s Club title — and especially to be named president — has long been a source of pride, prestige, and friendly competition among the sales force.

A major incentive for the salespeople – included with their induction into the President’s Club – is the President’s Conference, an annual, multi-day event at a luxury destination that combines professional development sessions and strategy meetings with reward ceremonies.

“This is a major reason why we look forward to being a part of the President’s Club,” said Sandra.

“This is my first time being president. Despite being out of the office for five months, I won the top award in every category the company offered, so for me it was a great achievement. The possibility of winning the award encourages you to maintain your production at a certain level.”

The president and vice president are awarded ceremonial gavels – a distinguished symbol of exceptional leadership, excellence, and prestige. Along with this honor comes the privilege of leading an elite group of top performers and the well-earned bragging rights that accompany this remarkable achievement.

This year, the conference took place from June 3-7 in San Francisco, California. An appreciation dinner, which featured the presentation of awards, occurred on June 4 in the Cable Car View Room at the San Francisco Marriott Union Square.

The President’s Conference featured an extensive itinerary, including a scenic drive to California’s Napa Valley, wine tasting at Castello di Amorosa, a hilltop lunch at Sterling Vineyards, dinner in Sonoma Square at El Dorado Kitchen, an Alcatraz Island cruise, exploration of Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square; and a sunset dinner cruise for a remarkable view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

With the President’s Club trophy now in her collection, Sandra has won every award that Colina has given, including Manager of the Year, Sales Manager of the year, Executive Agent of the Year, Individual Medical Award of the Year, and Rising Star of the Year.

Other recent accomplishments include Executive Salesperson of the Year, the Century Club Award, President’s Club Officer, the Quality Life Award, Gold Qualifier recognition, and MDRT Qualifier status.

Sandra lauded Colina for creating a work environment that encourages healthy competition, rewards dedication and hard work, and prioritizes technology.

“Colina has done so much to accommodate its salespeople and improve their overall level of efficiency,” she noted. “We have gone online in a major way. In the past we would do a lot of paper applications, but now the company has embraced digital technology. We can speak to clients from home via video call, input information in an app, and it goes straight to our computers at Colina,” Sandra added.

Latarsha agreed that Colina has gone the extra mile when it comes to utilizing technology.

“The app makes it easier for us to do the work, the company has made it easier for us and I’m very thankful. You have to change the way you do things, you have to improve. You have to want to do better to get better,” she stated.

“You must always strive to do the best, to be the best, in order to be successful.”

Maxine Seymour, director of corporate communications at Colina, congratulated Sandra and Latarsha on earning the titles of president and vice president of Colina’s President’s Club.

“Sandra’s achievement is especially inspiring given the personal challenges she navigated during the year. To remain focused and rise to the very top despite those circumstances speaks volumes about her character, resilience and work ethic.

“We remain committed to giving our sales team the tools, technology and support they need to succeed. When our salespeople thrive, our clients are better served, our company grows stronger, and together we create lasting value for our shareholders.”

About Colina Insurance Limited (Colina)

Colina is a diversified financial services company, offering comprehensive life and health insurance solutions. Colina is wholly-owned by Colina Holdings Bahamas Limited (CHBL). CHBL is a Bahamian Company, built on a firm foundation of trust, integrity and responsibility. Colina has evolved over the past century to become The Bahamas’ largest life and health insurer, with a solid reputation for providing insurance and related financial services products that help clients prepare for life’s unexpected events.