After starting her professional career in public accounting in 1989, Lynda Baris was recruited by her mentor to join him in the insurance industry at J.W. Terrill. Six months later, her mentor and friend passed away after battling cancer and she was asked to succeed him in the role of CFO.
“Pledging to do everything she could to fill his shoes, she began her 34-year journey to learn the business,” said her colleagues. “She has held various roles over the years, all of which have influenced how she leads today.”
Baris served as CFO of the bank’s fee-based revenue division when it was sold to a publicly traded bank and was part of the employee-led group that regained the firm’s status as an employee-owned privately held firm. After Marsh McLennan Agency acquired the firm, Baris was named president in 2021.
Marsh McLennan Agency is a local provider of business insurance, employee health and benefits, retirement and private client insurance solutions across North America. The firm serves the risk prevention and insurance needs of public and private companies to help them flourish.
“When Lynda joined the firm in 1989, she entered an insurance industry that was dominated by middle-aged white males,” said her colleagues. “As a young female professional, she faced numerous challenges in establishing her presence at the leadership table and worked diligently to overcome the barriers she encountered.”
As a result, Baris made a personal commitment to champion professional development and flexibility for all colleagues within the organization and serves as the executive sponsor of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative supporting the St. Louis Colleague Resource Groups. She is also a member of the Griffiths Leadership Society through the Mizzou Alumni Association and mentors college students through the Mizzou Mentoring Network.
“I believe that one of the most important attributes of a successful leader is the ability to enable and empower others to achieve their goals,” said Baris. “I find my purpose each day in supporting, encouraging and challenging others to be the best versions of themselves.”
Resilience is also a skill that has served Baris well personally and professionally. “As a young female professional, I recognized the need to educate myself and assert my voice in a manner that would be heard and respected,” she said. “I was persistent and found invaluable male mentors and sponsors who played a significant role in my professional growth and I lean into this experience and my inner strength when faced with setbacks and new challenges.”
For her resilience in leading and empowering others, Baris has been named a Titan 100.
