Beyond the Tweet

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Jack Salzwedel

United as a Catalyst for Change

One of my favorite parts of American Family’s culture statement comes at the end, when the focus turns to our communities. We are a catalyst for change. So people will say: “This is a better community because American Family is part of it.” As American Family’s United Way campaigns draw to a close, I wasthinking […]

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Courageous Innovation

American Family Insurance has been part of this community for more than 90 years, and part of my life for almost as long as I can remember. We started as Farmers Mutual in 1927, in the Tenney Building on Madison’s capitol square. Now, we’re a Fortune 400 company. Through our history, we’ve grown and adapted […]

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Relearning how to learn

When I was in college – a few years ago – my main objective was to learn a discipline in four years. Back then, colleges and universities hoped that by teaching all this content, something else would rub off.As students, we were supposed to figure out how to think critically, adapt, question things, become curious. […]

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My Pledge to You: Every Voice Matters

I’ve talked a lot about the transformation my company – American Family Insurance – has made. We’ve adapted to changing customer needs with a solid strategy, structure, and mission, vision and values. We’ve expanded our reach through acquisition and mergers. We’ve brought in new leaders and fresh voices. And, we’ve grown … in many ways. […]

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Investing in Our Communities is Inspiring and Powerful

As CEO of American Family Insurance, I want us to be a great insurer – the most trusted and valued customer-driven insurance company. But, as I’ve said before, we need to be more than that. We also need to be a great place for agents and for employees. We need a strong and vibrant brand. […]

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The CEO Podcast: A Conversation with John Legend

John Legend is talented – and busy. The Academy, Grammy and Tony Award winner has a baby on the way. He’s been on a multi-city tour of Asia. And, he’ll star in a live television adaptation of “Jesus Christ Superstar” this Sunday on NBC. As an American Family Dream Champion, John helps our brand deliver […]

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This is too important to just ‘check the box’

I was struck recently after reading an article in my local newspaper. Lawmakers had passed a resolution requiring mandatory sexual harassment-prevention training for themselves and their employees. What really stood out was the training would only need to be completed every two years. This strikes me as a check-the-box approach. You know what I mean […]

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The difference between failing and being a failure

I’m an optimist. I talk, write and tweet a lot about the great things happening at our company. Letting gratitude, optimism and belief guide my way really and truly is my approach to life. But, as a leader, at times I also need to have crucial conversations about things that aren’t so great. I don’t […]

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Walking the Gemba Walk

I took a walk recently through our Personal Lines Operations, Claims and Claims Legal teams at our East Regional Building. They’re working to improve processes, and using Lean techniques to identify and eliminate waste, improve speed for customers and reduce costs. This wasn’t just any walk. It was a Gemba walk – a specific term […]

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What are your habits for lifelong learning?

I posed a question on Twitter recently, asking folks what their habits were for lifelong learning. I appreciated reading responses and revisiting this idea of making active learning something we constantly pursue. The article I shared with my tweet was from Jeff Goins, author of The Art of Work, and it included three habits of […]

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