Warren Barhorst
Commercial Lines, Financial Services, Personal Lines
Use of search implies consent to our privacy policy.
Use of search implies consent to our privacy policy.
Commercial Lines, Financial Services, Personal Lines
Warren is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience in risk management, personal and commercial insurance, financial planning, distribution strategy and consulting, currently serving as a Managing Partner at Higginbotham.
He founded Iscential, a Houston, Texas-based risk management, insurance and financial services firm, in 1993, growing it into one of the largest independent firms in the state before partnering with Higginbotham in 2023.
He is known for helping to set vision and strategic direction while providing steady leadership through periods of growth and change. Warren brings a strong understanding of enterprise risk management, captive insurance formation and ongoing program management. He has played a key role in driving organic insurance distribution growth and in identifying, developing and motivating talent.
A competitive spirit shaped his successful collegiate football career and later influenced his approach to building an insurance practice. That same mindset continues to guide his leadership today as he leads strategic initiatives and works closely with clients to deliver tailored solutions.
Beyond insurance, Warren is a serial entrepreneur, having started or invested in over 30 businesses and serving as a consultant to more than 125 companies, ranging from startups to large corporations, where he has helped with mergers and acquisitions, business valuation, process improvement, distribution strategy and employee training.
Over the past 35 years, Warren has established himself as a thought leader in the fields of entrepreneurship and risk management, as well as teaching business owners how to generate wealth from their companies. He wrote and published his first book, Game Plan: The Definitive Playbook to Starting and Growing Your Business, in 2008, and his second book, Game Plan: The Definitive Playbook for Selling in the Connection Culture, was released in 2015. He is a frequent guest speaker and lecturer. Warren was honored as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Business Services for the Central South Region and previously appeared on the cover of Smart Business Magazine alongside a feature article.
Warren obtained a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Distribution from the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the football team. He holds Series 6, 7, 24, 63 and 65 securities registrations, as well as Risk Manager; Property and Casualty; Life, Accident, Health and HMO; and Surplus Lines licenses.
Warren holds the NAIFA Life Underwriting Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) designation and is an 18-year qualifying Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT). Warren also holds the Chartered Private Risk and Insurance Advisor (CPRIA) designation and the Financial Services Certified Professional (FSCP) designation from the American College for Financial Services. In December of 2019, Warren earned the Certified Advisor of Personal Insurance (CAPI) designation from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
In addition to his executive career, Warren is a member of the Rapport Society for the Texas A&M College of Medicine and the Dean’s Advisory Board for Texas A&M’s Mays Business School, along with serving as an advisor, investor and mentor to the University of Houston Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship. He is an active member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, Private Risk Managers Association and the Million Dollar Round Table.
Warren is also deeply committed to helping those in need and to teaching future leaders about entrepreneurship. He is a past Chairman and President of Jackie Sherrill’s 12th Man Kickoff Team Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides support to Texas A&M students and the broader College Station community. He and his wife, Lisa, have two endowed scholarships at Texas A&M University and frequently provide scholarships to entrepreneurship students at the University of Houston.