
CEO Spotlight: David Breschi, President & CEO of Madison Settlement Services
David (Dave) Breschi is the mastermind behind Madison Settlement Services. As the CEO & President of Madison Settlements, he has spent 19 years in the title insurance/real estate world and has 32 years of experience as a lawyer. As you’ll come to learn, Dave has a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise to share. Which is why we decided to pick the brain of the man behind the business in this CEO Spotlight post.
The Basics:
What are some interesting things you can tell our clients about you?
I have been married to my wife, Carrie, a social engagement artist in central PA for 31 years. We have three adult children. Two live in Chicago and one lives in NYC.
I also volunteer/coach a high school lacrosse team at Carlisle High School from January through May. I started this program in 1999 and have been a volunteer assistant coach since 2010 at the high school and middle school levels. Part of this program also includes tutoring kids.
David Breschi, the CEO of Madison Settlements:
Why did you decide to start Madison Settlement Services? When did you first start it and where?
I originally started MSS with a partner who was a client of mine at law firm I worked at. I had been a practicing attorney with several law firms for 13 years and got tired of the ‘Game of Thrones’ culture at said law firms. From there, I decided to start a business with the opportunity to form a culture that more closely aligned with my values. Hanover was the first location to open in September of 2003 with myself, a receptionist/clerk, and a processor.
Did you ever see MSS growing into all the current locations today?
No, I did not. Honest to goodness truth, when we first started, I had a vision of primarily working in the central PA location as I figured out a workable business model. The branch/location idea evolved later in time.
Looking back when you first started Madison Settlements, is there anything you would do differently?
Looking back on my professional life, decisions that I made that did not turn out the way I wished they did were not necessarily mistakes. Instead, they were learning moments and curves. I’ve learned from those decisions and haven’t repeated them since.
Thus, that’s part of our growth story. A lot of the time, people have regrets from the things that they didn’t try. And I don’t regret anything that I tried and failed. I am not afraid to try things whether they fail or succeed if we keep trying.
What do you love most about this industry?
I love the ability to be creative in finding solutions not only for our company but for the realtors, mortgage lenders, and brokers we work with. On that same note, I like that we’re dealing with title insurance and when you get a team to come up with creative ideas and solutions for an otherwise ‘bland’ industry, that makes it exciting and fun.
Do you have a certain standard of what true leadership means and looks like?
True leadership comes down to being courageous, inspiring, and empowering your team. A leader sees the potential in the organization and in the people within the organization and helps both become the best version of itself. A leader has the courage to try new things, to be in front of the industry, and inspires people to follow.
On a Personal Note:
How do you define success personally?
The personal aspect (friends and family) is to focus on those relationships and how I’m being in those relationships. Essentially, I define that success to be the health of those relationships with my immediate/extended family and friendships.
What about your professional success?
As far as success with my professional life, it’s about how much I am helping the organization and the people in them become the best version of themselves. Am I challenging/helping them and are they helping me grow professionally? This also goes hand in hand with the lacrosse team I mentioned earlier. Am I helping them grow professionally as well as personally? That’s my goal.
What is one thing, industry-related or not, you learned this past month?
Putin is a madman (laughs). But really, I’ve learned that democratic countries, despite all the fighting, they are passionate about the value of freedom. And to see every democratic country in the world come together against Russia is immensely impressive. These democratically elected countries have basically come together in an instant to support another. And that’s inspiring and awesome.
Is there a fun fact about yourself that many people do not know?
I take improv classes and hope to join an improv acting group in the next year or two. *Side note, we joked about him traveling the country in this improv group and he said he’d donate all earnings to local charities. *
Is there a favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Probably the most spectacular place I’ve traveled to was New Zealand. It is an incredibly beautiful place, and the people are great. Also, their food is just amazing.
Final Notes:
And there you have it – the man behind it all. David Breschi is not only a CEO and President, but he’s a father, a husband, a friend, and an innovator in the title world.