Rusty Reid, chairman and CEO of Fort Worth-based insurance giant Higginbotham, is the 2025 Fort Worth Business Executive of the Year.
Texas Wesleyan University, the Fort Worth Report and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce will honor Reid at the 55th Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame event at 6 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Omni Fort Worth.
During his 30-plus years of leadership at Higginbotham, Reid has spearheaded initiatives that have contributed to the firm’s impressive growth, expanded market presence and enhanced brand visibility, all the while building a sustainable company culture, according to the selection committee gathered by Texas Wesleyan. Under his leadership, Higginbotham, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023, has become a top 20 independent brokerage firm in the U.S. and the largest in Texas.
From introducing the firm’s groundbreaking single-source service model, enabling clients to access a full spectrum of insurance and financial services in one place, to building a culture of generosity, where employees combine philanthropic efforts, to establishing Higginbotham’s employee ownership structure, Reid has demonstrated leadership at both the firm and in the industry, the award judges said. Texas Wesleyan has honored a top business executive every year since 1970.
Last year’s recipients were Billy Rosenthal, chairman of the Penrose Group LLC, and Rozanne Rosenthal, founder of the Greater Fort Worth affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
“The honor sort of helped us re-engage with the community,” said Billy Rosenthal, “which has been great for us.”
Reid came to Higginbotham and the insurance business via a circuitous route that began with plans to be a pediatrician. After a class in organic chemistry caused him to reconsider his career path, he ended up in business school, eventually interning at an insurance agency.
By 1986, Reid had joined Higginbotham as the company’s 12th employee to help run the business insurance practice. A few years later, CEO Reid began to plant the seeds of an idea that came to him when he worked at another insurance company: employee ownership.
Higginbotham eventually set up a stock ownership plan that gave each employee a stake in the company. It remains a business cornerstone that continues to attract and retain talent.
Reid has earned widespread recognition for his leadership both from his peers and the broader industry. He was named a Most Admired CEO by the Dallas Business Journal and the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s 2024 Philanthropic Leader. He received the Susan Halsey Executive Leadership Award from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and was named a Top Private Executive by Fort Worth Business Press. Plus, Reid was honored as CEO of the Year at the Business Insurance America Awards, named Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW Inc., and recognized as one of the 25 Most Innovative Agents in America by The National Alliance & The Rough Notes Company Inc.
If you go
What: Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth Report and Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce will honor Rusty Reid at the 55th Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame event. Dress is business attire, and attendance is open to the general public.
When: 6 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Omni Fort Worth. The reception begins at 6 p.m., and the dinner begins at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $400 per person.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available:
• Executive Sponsor – $25,000
• Leadership Sponsor – $10,000
• Blue & Gold Sponsor – $5,000
• Table Sponsor – $3,500
To make reservations and purchase tickets: Contact Amy Tate-Almy, development officer, at 817-531-5806.
Reid graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s in business administration/insurance. Reid and his wife, Molly, have three children and six grandchildren.
The 55th Business Hall of Fame is made possible by the joint efforts of Texas Wesleyan University, the Fort Worth Report, and the Fort Worth Chamber to present the Business Executive of the Year.
The event supports the Thomas H. Law Scholarship endowment, which benefits business students at Texas Wesleyan.
Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame
Past Recipients (1970 – 2024)
1970 – J.M. Leonard and O.P. Leonard
Leonard Department Stores
1971 – James L. West
Tandy Corporation
1972 – John Justin Jr.
Justin Industries
1973 – M.J. Neeley
M.J. Neeley Company
1974 – J.C. Pace Jr.
J.C. Pace & Company
1975 – R.E. Cox Jr.
R.E. Cox & Company
1976 – Charles D. Tandy
Tandy Corporation
1977 – H.E. Chiles
Western Company of North America
1978 – Richard L. Lowe
American Quasar Petroleum Company
1978 – Charles G. Bluhdorn (honorary)
Gulf + Western
1979 – A.M. Pate Jr.
Texas Refinery Corporation
1980 – Arthur J. Dickerson
Southwest Petroleum Corporation
1981 – William Conner
Alcon Laboratories Inc.
1982 – Marvin Gearhart
Gearhart Industries Inc.
1982 – Amon G. Carter Jr. (honorary)
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
1983 – Judson Cramer
J&J Supply Inc.
1984 – William T. Smith
Champlin Petroleum Company
1985 – James R. Nichols
Freese and Nichols Inc.
1986 – Bob Bolen
Former Mayor of Fort Worth
1987 – Thomas H. Law
Law Snakard & Gambill
1988 – John V. Roach
Tandy Corporation
1989 – Robert L. Crandall
American Airlines
1990 – William L. Adams
Union Pacific Resources Company
1991 – Gerald Grinstein
Burlington Northern Inc.
1992 – Charlie L. Hillard
Hillard Auto Park
1993 – Dee J. Kelly
Kelly Hart & Hallman
1994 – Clark A. Johnson
Pier 1 Imports
1995 – Edgar H. Schollmaier
Alcon Laboratories Inc.
1996 – Bayard H. Friedman
Friedman Young and Suder
1997 – Webb F. Joiner
Bell Helicopter Textron
1998 – James S. DuBose
Colonial Savings, Fort Worth Mortgage
1999 – The Honorable Kay Granger
U.S. House of Representatives
2000 – Holt Hickman
Fort Worth Battery and Automotive
2001 – Clifton H. Morris Jr.
AmeriCredit Corporation
2002 – Marvin J. Girouard
Pier 1 Imports
2003 – Dain M. Hancock
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
2004 – Robert L. Herchert
Freese and Nichols Inc.
2005 – Leonard Roberts
RadioShack
2006 – W.R. “Bob” Watt Jr.
Southwestern Exposition & Livestock Show
2007 – Bob R. Simpson
XTO Energy
2008 – Matt Rose
BNSF Corporation
2009 – Vernon Bryant Jr.
Southwest Bank
2010 – J. Luther King Jr.
Luther King Capital Management
2011 – Paul Andrews Jr.
TTI Inc.
2012 – Nolan Ryan
Texas Rangers Baseball Club
2013 – Mike Berry
Hillwood Properties
2014 – Jon Brumley
Bounty Investments
2015 – Hunter Enis
Four Sevens Oil Co.
2016 – Martha Williams
Williams Trew Real Estate Services
2016 – Joan Trew
Williams Trew Real Estate Services
2017 – H. Paul Dorman
DFB Pharmaceuticals LLC
2018 – John C. Goff
Goff Capital Inc.
Crescent Real Estate Holdings
2019 – Edward P. Bass
Fine Line Group
2021 – Elaine Agather
J.P. Morgan Private Bank
2022 – Arnold “Arnie” G. Gachman
Gamtex Industries
2023 – David Bonderman
TPG
2024 – Billy and Rozanne Rosenthal
Standard Meat Co., Greater Fort Worth affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.
The Fort Worth Report is a sponsor of the Business Hall of Fame event.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
Related
Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.
Republish This Story
Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details.