A transforming enterprise

My first policyholder meeting as CEO was March 2012. It doesn’t seem that long ago. Yet, it’s incredible how far American Family Insurance has come since.

We were just one company then. Today, as we welcome policyholders to our National Headquarters and release our 2019 annual report, I'm proud to say, American Family Insurance is a transformed enterprise.

This began around 2007, when the insurance industry was in the middle of its own disruption. My predecessor, Dave Anderson, and many other leaders at the time, started American Family’s transformation. It continued when I became CEO.

But, it was a bumpy start. Industry disruption continued, and AmFam’s investments in the future stagnated our results. To truly transform, we needed to revamp our strategy, culture, leadership and technology.

So we did. We have. We studied and assessed trends that affect business in the future.

We researched those trends and turned them into strategic beliefs. They’re core to where we believe the world is headed. Then we turned those beliefs into opportunity and applied action through our strategy.

This led to multiple acquisitions. Some small, some in excess of $1 billion. We launched start-ups as innovation dramatically ramped up across our company. We invested heavily in data, technology and products.

Today, American Family Insurance is a leader in homeowners and small commercial insurance products. Our brand stands out because of the investments we made in it.

Our investments in people, culture, service capabilities and our communities may not be as visible. But these are all critical aspects of our transformation. We will need them in the next decade, too.

For our organization, it’s created paradoxes and contradictions. It’s required us to get comfortable being uncomfortable. This likely will continue to be part of our growth. It’s part of meeting customers where they need us, while improving the overall value of our work.

Released today, our annual report demonstrates this transformation. No, we’re not a sleepy, Midwestern insurance company. We’re a national and international enterprise of companies.

We offer multiple distribution channels because customers demand them. And they’re getting them: A stronger exclusive agency owner channel. A vibrant independent agent channel. Direct auto options. And, partnership direct offerings. We stand out in the industry … best in class across all those channels. 

Policyholder meetings are good for reflection. They show where we’ve been, where we’re headed and why. And, while society and customers will continue to change, American Family will use its strategy as a guide to follow them.

As retiring Chief Business Development Officer Peter Gunder recently told Innovators on Tap, we’re not going back. We’ve come so far, and we will rise even more during the next decade.

I truly believe that.