Paul Barber

Market Development Advisor

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain

EBSCO Industries’ vision is to expand its insurance division, Valent Group, through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions and to be the best insurance agency in the Southeast.

With more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Paul knows the keys to a successful brokerage firm: Above all, prioritize customer care and relationships through trust and confidence.

Paul’s reputation for assembling talented teams and cultivating a successful agency culture was born during his tenure at McGriff, Seibels & Williams (McGriff), the sixth largest brokerage firm in the world. There he held several executive leadership positions, earning his stripes as a leader in both sales and operations among the top echelons in the insurance industry.

Most recently, he served as McGriff’s senior vice president of branch operations, partnering with sales leaders in multiple offices across the nation, including Atlanta, Dallas and Seattle. In this role Paul provided support to more than 200 insurance professionals, generating a combined agency revenue of nearly $100 million.

Through his many years in leadership positions, Paul has developed a passion for coaching young leaders. He took a sabbatical from insurance in 2016 to work alongside Richard Simmons III and serve as a mentor with the Center for Executive Leadership. In this role, Paul coached young businessmen in areas such as Character Formation, Spiritual Formation and Leadership Development, ultimately helping them discover their purpose and incorporate that purpose into the business world.

Paul’s roots in the Yellowhammer State run deep. Originally from Opelika, he grew up the eighth of nine children. He graduated from Auburn University, was president of Phi Gamma Delta and played a year of college baseball. At Auburn he met Vicki, his wife of 31 years, who is originally from Birmingham. Together they’ve raised four children in Birmingham, their home since 1985.