Executive Vice President, Burns & Wilcox
South Windsor, CT
Years of Service: 2026–2031

Scott Higgins is a business leader currently working as a senior executive in the commercial insurance industry. 

Higgins is the executive vice president for Burns & Wilcox, overseeing the firm’s North American commercial insurance division. He executes Burns & Wilcox’s comprehensive strategy and maximizes client and market relationships.

Prior to joining Burns & Wilcox, Higgins worked for Travelers for more than 30 years. He held a variety of roles at the insurance giant, working in nearly every aspect of North American operations and holding the title of executive vice president and president of Middle Market and National Property for Travelers.

At Bates, Higgins majored in political science. A football player, he was a recipient of the Robert P.  Schmidt Award, given to a teammate who demonstrates physical and mental courage while bringing honor and achievement to themselves and their team. He earned an MBA from the Lally School of Management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). As a member of the alumni community, Higgins has served as a class agent and been an Alumni in Admission volunteer. He continues to work closely with other football alumni.

Higgins’ volunteer work outside of Bates includes a deep commitment to Vista Life Innovations, a nonprofit that provides programs and services to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve personal success and independence.

Higgins and his wife Heather P’27 reside in Connecticut and are the parents of Karly and Cole ’27, a politics major with a minor in history. Cole is a member of the football team. Scott’s mother Althea Curtis Higgins ’70 also attended Bates.