Built for the long haul.
BIG is named for the bristlecone pine, one of the world's oldest and most resilient trees, known for thriving in some of the harshest environments on earth. That resilience is the standard we hold our relationships to: built to last through rate cycles, carrier changes, and market noise — not just the current sales season.
Built from experience in the field
Bristlecone Insurance Group was founded after more than 20 years of working directly in the insurance business — as a licensed producer selling life insurance, annuities, and long-term care, working with clients through real planning decisions.
That path also included working within four different IMOs over the course of a career spent in wholesaling, sales leadership, and new-business operations, plus earlier experience working for a national life insurance carrier, and, earlier still, time in a family insurance and financial-services practice.
BIG was built from all three sides of that experience: the producer serving the client, the IMO supporting the producer, and the carrier behind the product.
The result is an IMO built around what independent financial professionals actually need — thoughtful case support, broad product access, straightforward communication, and a partner who understands the work because we've done it too.
How BIG works with the people it partners with
Relationship-driven
You work with a direct point of contact, not a general inbox or a rotating service queue.
Independent
BIG supports your business alongside you. We don't take servicing rights to your clients, and we don't compete with your practice.
Product-agnostic
Product selection starts with the client's objective, not with whichever carrier is easiest to place a case with.
Case-focused
Support that works through a case with you, from first illustration through issue — not a form that just processes paperwork.
Experience Behind BIG
Tyrell Jensen
Founder, Bristlecone Insurance Group
Tyrell brings more than 20 years of experience as a licensed insurance producer working directly with clients across life insurance, annuities, and long-term care. His career also includes experience within multiple independent marketing organizations in wholesaling, sales leadership, and new-business operations, along with earlier experience working for a national life insurance carrier.
That combination gives him perspective from multiple sides of the business — the producer serving the client, the IMO supporting the producer, and the carrier behind the product.
He founded Bristlecone Insurance Group to build the kind of IMO relationship he believes producers deserve: knowledgeable, accessible, independent, and focused on helping advisors find the right solution for the client rather than simply moving a case through the system.
Our Principles
Client Outcome First
The right solution starts with what is right for the client. Suitability, long-term value, and the client's objectives come before product, carrier, or compensation.
Thoughtful by Design
Good case design is more than finding a product that works. We look across carriers, structures, and strategies to help producers understand the options and make well-informed recommendations.
Built for the Long Term
We believe the best producer relationships are built over time. That means being accessible, following through, and providing the kind of support producers can rely on case after case.