Back to Claims School
Brad Gronke, EdD, MBA, MS, CCP, ACP, CLMP, CPCU, AIC, AIS, AIM, SCLA, brings an unusually broad professional perspective to the CLM Claims College School of Workers’ Compensation. He serves as a Claims Specialist with Amerisure Insurance and has spent more than 25 years working in insurance with a significant focus on workers’ compensation. His career has included roles as an adjuster, supervisor, trainer, consultant, professor, speaker, and claims strategist. He also spent more than two decades serving as an emergency medical provider and more than a decade in law enforcement, experiences that continue to influence how he approaches decision-making, leadership, and the responsibility professionals carry when people are navigating difficult circumstances.
Brad’s academic background reflects the same multidisciplinary curiosity he brings to his work. He holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership, an MBA focused on Organizational Behavior with graduate certificates in Change and Strategic Management, a Master of Science in Criminal Social Justice, and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. He has also earned eight professional insurance and claims designations and has worked with organizations spanning transportation, manufacturing, education, public entities, commercial insurance, publishing, and logistics.
As a member of the Executive Council for the School of Workers’ Compensation, Brad brings a perspective grounded in technical claims knowledge and strengthened by leadership, medicine, organizational behavior, and human experience. His C.A.Re. model — Compassion, Advocacy, and Recovery — reflects his belief that claims professionals can protect financial and operational interests while creating an experience grounded in dignity, communication, and thoughtful decision-making.
What originally drew you to workers’ compensation?
My career has always centered on helping people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
I served for more than two decades as an emergency medical provider and more than a decade in law enforcement. Those experiences taught me that decisions made during difficult moments can influence a person’s future in significant ways.
Workers’ compensation brought together my interests in service, law, medicine, and complex problem-solving. Claims professionals have an opportunity to make a meaningful difference while balancing the needs of injured workers, employers, medical providers, and legal stakeholders.
That combination made workers’ compensation a natural fit for me.
What perspective do you bring to the School of Workers’ Compensation?
I bring a multidisciplinary perspective that combines emergency response, law enforcement, claims leadership, litigation management, higher education, leadership development, and organizational strategy.
I have worked as an adjuster, supervisor, trainer, consultant, professor, and speaker, which has allowed me to see claims from several different viewpoints. My approach emphasizes technical excellence alongside compassionate leadership, critical thinking, and practical decision-making.
I also spend time thinking about where the industry is heading. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics are changing how professionals access information and make decisions. Claims professionals need enough understanding of those tools to use them responsibly while preserving the human judgment required in complicated situations.
Why does this matter for today’s claims professionals?
Claims professionals are working through complex medical issues, changing legal environments, workforce shortages, mental health concerns, and rapidly developing technology.
Technical knowledge gives professionals an essential foundation. The work also requires strong communication, analytical thinking, adaptability, trust-building, and the ability to make thoughtful decisions under pressure.
Emotional intelligence matters because claims professionals regularly interact with people who may be experiencing pain, uncertainty, frustration, or fear. The ability to remain clear, professional, and compassionate strengthens the claims process and the decisions made within it.
What is one missed opportunity you regularly see within workers’ compensation?
I think we sometimes measure claims success too narrowly through financial outcomes.
Financial stewardship matters and should always remain part of responsible claims management.
Compassion, communication, and early engagement also influence what happens throughout the claim.
Investing in relationships, trust, and proactive problem-solving can support recovery, reduce unnecessary conflict, and help claims move forward more effectively. My C.A.Re. model — Compassion, Advocacy, and Recovery — grew from that belief.
What has experience taught you that a textbook never could?
Every claim tells a human story.
Textbooks can teach laws, medical terminology, claims procedures, and best practices. Experience teaches you how to navigate difficult conversations, ethical questions, competing priorities, and decisions that directly affect another person’s livelihood.
I have learned the value of listening carefully and asking thoughtful questions before deciding what I believe. Treating people with dignity also creates better conditions for productive conversations and stronger professional relationships.
What do you hope students gain from learning with you at Claims College?
I want students to leave with practical tools they can use immediately and greater confidence in their ability to make sound decisions.
I also want them to recognize the influence they have. Claims professionals can shape communication, recovery, organizational outcomes, and a person’s understanding of the entire workers’ compensation system.
My goal is to help develop professionals who think strategically, communicate effectively, embrace responsible innovation, and remember the human beings represented by every file.
Complete this sentence: “Excellent claims professionals understand that…”
Every claim is ultimately about people, and the quality of their decisions, communication, and leadership can influence someone’s recovery, an employer’s success, and the integrity of the entire workers’ compensation system.
What advice would you give someone building a career in workers’ compensation?
Remain curious and commit yourself to lifelong learning.
Study medicine, law, communication, negotiation, psychology, leadership, and technology. Seek mentors and learn from people who understand something you have not encountered yet.
Technical knowledge will help you build your career. Integrity, professionalism, and genuine concern for others will shape the reputation you create along the way.
What might Claims College students be surprised to learn about you?
I have always enjoyed adventure and learning in very different forms.
I have jumped out of an airplane, ride motorcycles and horses, and have a deep curiosity about metaphysical studies and personal growth. One of my proudest personal accomplishments was losing more than 160 pounds and maintaining that change for more than 15 years.
The experience reinforced many of the principles I value professionally: discipline, persistence, growth, and the willingness to keep moving forward.
Ready to Head Back to Claims School?
The strongest claims professionals never stop learning. Join the workers’ compensation community in Baltimore from September 9–11, 2026, for the CLM Claims College and three days of practical education, meaningful discussion, and professional connection. The School of Workers’ Compensation gives students the opportunity to strengthen technical knowledge, sharpen professional judgment, and learn directly from experienced industry leaders. Each class is designed to help professionals return to their organizations with greater confidence and new ideas they can apply to their work. Explore the School of Workers’ Compensation and reserve your seat at Claims College today.
The CLM Claims College School of Workers’ Compensation is powered by Paradigm. WorkersCompensation.com proudly sponsors the School’s study halls.
