Choice Financial announces new president, mid-Atlantic leader

Virginia Beach-based insurance broker Choice Financial Group has announced several changes to its leadership this month.

Troy Dillow has been named president and chief operating officer, where he will be responsible for leading the company’s day-to-day operations and executing strategic initiatives. He joined the organization in 2021 as its first merger partner through the acquisition of Bernier Insurance in Rochester, New Hampshire. He later helped the company expand and was most recently executive vice president of operations and carrier relations.

“Troy has lived every chapter of the Choice story,” Choice CEO Bob Hilb said in a statement. “He’s been an independent agency owner, an integration leader, and a trusted voice in our most important conversations. I could not be more enthusiastic about this appointment; Troy is a true partner to me and our leadership team. Most importantly, however, is how our other merger partners respect Troy and embrace his leadership.”

Before his insurance career, Dillow was a nuclear general foreman and later nuclear director at the U.S. Department of Defense, overseeing modernization and decommissioning of nuclear submarines. He entered the insurance industry in 2015 and, in 2017, acquired Bernier Insurance from his father-in-law, Harvey Bernier Jr.

“I’m honored to step into this role at such a defining moment for our company,” Dillow said in a statement. “What makes Choice special is our commitment to preserving the independence and legacy of our partners while equipping them with the tools to grow stronger together. It’s a mission I believe in deeply because I’ve lived it.”

Meanwhile, Joe Harrow has joined as executive vice president of the mid-Atlantic region, in a newly established role where he will oversee growth strategy, talent, mergers and acquisitions and market relationships. His early focus will be on Maryland, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Harrow started his career in banking before transitioning into the insurance industry in 1994, founding Mid-Penn Insurance in Williamsburg. He led Mid-Penn until its acquisition by TowneBank in 2018. After the acquisition, Harrow was president of Towne’s Virginia market until 2022. Since then, Harrow has worked as chief development officer and risk manager for VersAbility Resources, an organization dedicated to supporting people with disabilities.

“I am excited to join Choice because it stood out to me as a unique place where agency owners keep their entrepreneurial independence while also being able to collaborate with other agency partners to provide the best solutions for our clients,” said Harrow in a statement.

In a statement, Hilb praised Harrow’s “ability to think and act strategically while at the same time execute a myriad number of details” for clients.

Meanwhile, Hilb has taken on the title of chairman in addition to CEO. He is the founder of Richmond-based broker The Hilb Group and has led more than 30 acquisitions at Choice.

Based in Virginia Beach, Choice includes more than 30 partner agencies across more than 20 states and is backed with funding from private equity firm Northlane Capital Partners.