Ever since announcing my decision to step away as American Family Insurance CEO, I’ve gotten a ton of comments from folks inside and outside our organization. It’s been great to hear from so many people. There’s a common theme in those messages, too. “Wow, the company has really grown during your tenure as CEO.” Or, “It’s […]
Read MoreToday is the American Family Insurance annual policyholder meeting. I distinctly remember the 2020 annual meeting. We gathered in person – something hard to fathom just 12 months later. No masks. No social distancing. We were monitoring the pandemic at that time, but it hadn’t really impacted us. Yet. Oh, how things would change. I’ve […]
Read MoreWe all want the pandemic behind us. I see what we’re all missing out on daily. I miss seeing family, friends and our people. I want the chance to gather safely – in person – to work, collaborate and learn together. I want to visit the people at each of our operating companies. I’m also […]
Read MoreI was chatting with a friend recently about the upcoming presidential election. The conversation wasn’t about the candidates or their platforms, or who we thought would win the election. It was about the election process, and how our nation, communities and people would reconcile a result in what’s likely to be a divided electorate. This friend […]
Read MoreIt’s been a challenging year. As a CEO, parent, grandparent and citizen, I worry the next few weeks and months could be even tougher. On top of a pandemic that is not going away, racial injustices that continue to divide our communities and one of the most contentious elections in our lifetimes – it’s easy […]
Read More“What keeps you up at night?” That’s a common question from my more than nine years as CEO. While I have multiple accountabilities, I believe my most important job – and the one that’s likely cost me the most sleep – is ensuring my organization has the right talent. I believe it’s the most important […]
Read MoreTrue change over the long term must be engrained in our strategy. As the American Family Insurance senior leadership team finalizes our company’s latest strategic plan, I’ve thought about this phrase often. I want our strategy to drive business results that provide products and services our customers want. I also want that same strategy to […]
Read More“If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention, don’t care, think it’s OK, or have been desensitized.” That’s how Tyler Whipple, my colleague and American Family’s inclusive excellence vice president, described what’s happening – again – in places like Minneapolis, New York City and Georgia. We keep seeing more examples of a broken society, fueled […]
Read MoreI needed a little perspective. Recently, I took a break from the sadness and chaos of everything happening around us. I picked up Dare to Dream, a terrific book about the story of Herman Wittwer, the founder of my company. If you haven’t heard it, bear with me. As a struggling insurance agent, Herman had a dream. It was 1927, and he wanted to offer a different kind of […]
Read MoreHistorically, corporate strategic plans focus on goals, initiatives, measures and financials. This is the “what” of most strategies: What you’re doing and what you’re measuring. At American Family, we recently added emphasis to the “how” of our strategy. This is our mission, vision, values and culture. It’s how we deliver products and services to customers. But it’s also how we work with each […]
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