John Kuerbis has been a Cost Consultant with MBC Group since January 2020 and has a vibrant history leading up to his current position. In addition to running an Independent Adjusting Company in Fort McMurray for 18 years, he has performed international catastrophe work in Florida, Australia, and New Zealand. Reminiscing on his experiences in Florida during the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, he recalls what was like a post-apocalyptic scene, where driving into the city there was debris and garbage piled up to 30 feet high in the ditches. John considers it a privilege to be able to contribute to these catastrophic losses and work with people who had this massive tragedy happen. For him it is a surreal experience, being in a place away from home and helping these people put their lives back together while feeling the impact of these losses.
John believes that no matter where in the world, people are people, and continuing to meet people is one of his favorite aspects of the job. A big part of handling people is managing communication between all parties involved in a file. Ensuring everyone involved is on the same page and remains in the loop is a crucial part of moving a file along efficiently and reducing the friction that can occur when multiple parties are involved. His experience as an adjuster makes him a huge asset, being able to speak the language our clients speak when articulating what we do and the motivation behind it to eliminate any uncertainty and maintain trust.
John’s philosophy and his advice to anyone is to never stop learning. No matter what you do or your position in this world, there are always transferrable skills. Many people will stay in a job they don’t like because they don’t think they are capable of doing anything else. But if you are open to constructive criticism, if you can objectively look back on the things you have done and make every effort to refine your skills, you will continue to grow as an individual. Even at 55, John strives to keep learning and growing, avoiding being set in his ways. He is proud to say that even as an expert, he has found ways to improve his report compositions and approach to file reviews. Contributing to a big loss in a positive manner and being able to assist in smoothing the progression of a claim is an essential part of what we do at MBC Group.
His passionate and adventurous spirit extends beyond John’s professional life. As a father of 4, and grandfather of 2, he strives to maintain a good work-life balance, spending time with his family, as well as convening with the mountains. John has been extreme snowmobiling for 30 years, and still finds it exhilarating. For him it is amazing and humbling to see a part of the world at the top of some of these mountains, and to know less than 100,000 people have seen that view. And then going down the mountain at speeds of up to 100 miles an hour without being able to touch the brake. As John puts it, there on the hill, as well as in life, you have to trust in yourself and your abilities.
