Talent and Culture Q&A with DOXA CEO Matt Sackett

Talent and culture are the foundation of everything we do here at DOXA. We play an uncommon role in the specialty insurance industry because we offer a platform that operates a little differently. Instead of simply acquiring businesses, we invest in their legacy and preserve the culture that makes each team successful. 

In under a decade, DOXA has evolved from a founder’s vision into an award-winning specialty insurance platform. What fueled that growth? A focus on supporting exceptional businesses, attracting experienced leaders, and removing operational hurdles that often limit the potential of specialty underwriting firms. 

In this Q&A, we dig into DOXA CEO Matt Sackett’s approach to identifying and attracting top talent, evaluating cultural fit and acquisition opportunities, and building a collaborative community across the organization. 

Q&A  

How do you attract such great people to work at DOXA?  

On a human level, we want to make sure someone is a good person. Usually that’s as simple as going out to lunch with them and seeing how they treat the person pouring their water – that gives you a pretty good idea of how authentically kind they are. 

We’ve been fortunate to hire great people referred by great people. When you build a core team of talented individuals who enjoy working together, you attract others who bring the right skill set and fit the culture.  

We also take a continuous approach to refining the team and really leveraging people’s strengths to make sure they’re in the right roles. As we grow, we’re continuously looking to make sure we’re positioning our team to get to the growth outcomes we’re after – it’s never stagnant.  

What benefits have you seen from implementing a flat organizational structure? And how do you intend to scale that as DOXA grows?  

From a flat organization standpoint, I think it’s critical that my door stays open, and that every leader across the organization keeps theirs open too.   

Hiring the right people helps create the right culture, one where everyone welcomes feedback and transparency. What matters most is that when our leadership team receives feedback, they follow up. At the end of the day, we’re all working toward what’s best for DOXA. 

Our culture also encourages curiosity and open communication, and we’re not afraid to question or push one another. We can have a healthy debate, and our flat structure makes that possible, which ultimately helps us all to reach the best possible outcome for the business.  

What lessons have you learned about recognizing talent in acquisitions?  

When we’re talking to a potential partner about an acquisition, one of the first things they should say is, “I want to make sure that my team is taken care of” or “We like to have a team dinner once a month and a big annual holiday party – can we keep doing that?” And the answer is yes. If that’s part of what makes your team special, keep it going. You’ve built a strong, talented group, and we want that culture to thrive.  

We look at culture first. If that’s right, everything else pretty much falls into place.  

Empowering excellence in specialty insurance 

At DOXA, talent is the driving force behind every success story across our platform. We empower talented people to make decisions, work together, and have fun doing it. Because of the culture and values our team brings to the table, we continue to grow exponentially and remain committed to fostering a workplace for forward thinking insurance professionals.   

Our people create the DOXA difference. A difference that starts with a driven, collaborative, and entrepreneurial mindset. Interested in joining a community that empowers excellence in specialty insurance? Learn more.