Profile
Caleb Smith builds insurance platforms that give smaller players access once reserved for the largest. He takes as managing director of program development at Higginbotham, he leads Fortress Affinity Management, the firm’s platform for scaling national affinity and association insurance programs. He takes specialty practices with deep domain expertise but no national infrastructure and builds that infrastructure around them, unlocking distribution niches that larger carriers have left unserved, including 1225 United for churches.
Smith brings a financial analyst’s discipline to his work in insurance. After graduating cum laude from Samford University as its top finance graduate, he began at Highland Associates, an institutional asset manager, where he worked to lower investment fees for nonprofit healthcare systems. He then joined Align Technology, makers of Invisalign, as a financial analyst, helping design “Advantage,” the company’s first doctor loyalty program.
In 2018, Smith joined Refuge Group to lead corporate development for a consortium of family-owned businesses built to give small companies the enterprise-scale advantages reserved for large ones. He restructured the portfolio, selling its insurance agency, captive operation, and affinity management platform to Higginbotham, where he started as director, program development and was promoted to managing director within a year. Across asset management, healthcare, and insurance, his work has run on one conviction: that economies of scale can level the field.
551 Ridgecrest Dr, Madison, MS 39110
888 823 3567
casmith@higginbotham.net
linkedin.com/in/calebsmith2
higginbotham.com
Caleb Smith
Managing Director, Program Development
Higginbotham
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Bio
Milestones
2016–2018
2018–2023
2024
2024–2026
2022–present
Financial Analyst, Worldwide Commercial Operations and Global Marketing at Align Technology: developed business cases and financial models for new products and global marketing initiatives; helped launch the Advantage Doctor Loyalty Program; managed a $60M marketing budget with less than 2% variance
2016–2018
Vice President, Corporate Development at Refuge Group: led portfolio restructuring, including 12 acquisitions and divestitures; enhanced profitability and stability; structured strategic partnership with Higginbotham
2018–2023
Director, Program Development at Higginbotham: created Fortress Affinity Management, Higginbotham’s affinity distribution and program platform
2024
Managing Director, Program Development at Fortress Affinity Management (Higginbotham): scaled specialty insurance platforms through proprietary distribution, technology, and product development; founding board member of via Higginbotham
2024–2026
Managing Director at Euclid Transactional
2022–present
Milestones
“By focusing on doing the best possible job for every client, they naturally tell their friends and family. That organic growth has been very rewarding”
Alan Borthwick,
DUX Financial Services
“Our goal is not to speed up transactions but to slow down where it matters, taking the time to truly understand each client’s situation and deliver thoughtful, personalised guidance”
Alan Borthwick,
DUX Financial Services
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