What makes an IT executive stand out as one of TechDecisions' Insurance IT All-Stars? For six years we have beenhanding out these accolades and the single factor that binds all ofour all-stars over the years is their ability to address problemsand—through collaboration—bring people, and processes, andtechnology together to determine the best solution.
|The 2012 group is no different. Some have similar backgrounds;others do not. We have personal lines carriers, specialty lines,and even a life insurer. What makes this particular group stand outalongside any of the previous groups of all-stars we've selected isthey are unafraid to admit they don't have all the answers, butthey do have the inner strength, talent, and expertise to find thebest possible solutions and initiate them into their corporateenvironment.
|This year's list includes Rich Pedersen, senior vice presidentand CIO of National Life Group; Rick Roy, senior vice president andCIO of CUNA Mutual; Bryan Fowler, vice president and CIO of OregonMutual Group; Thad DeBerry, senior vice president and CIO ofWestern World Insurance Group; and Peter Moreau, vice president andCIO of Amica Insurance.
|We believe you will find they all have interesting stories totell about their experiences in insurance IT and that you'll agreethey deserve the title Insurance IT All-Star
|Peter Moreau, AmicaInsurance
Peter Moreau, vice president and CIO for Amica Insurance, hasrisen through the technical ranks in an IT career that startedfollowing his graduation from college. His technical backgroundmade new technology initiatives exciting for him, but as he hasmatured into an IT leader so has his focus.
|Today, Moreau's excitement comes from creating a shared visionwith Amica's business leaders and developing a plan that willfulfill that vision.
|“Laying out the roadmap and seeing that plan come to fruition isexciting,” he says. “It changes your focus because most of what Ineed to do as CIO is coordinate resources and use them in a fashionthat will benefit our policyholders. As a mutual company, we're inbusiness to serve our policyholders. Everything we do—thetimeframes we take to do it, how much we spend—is focused on makingsure it is beneficial to our policyholders.”
||Thad DeBerry, Western World InsuranceGroup
Thad DeBerry is excited about the future of insurance technologybecause of the many opportunities that exist.
|“There is so much untapped opportunity right now to improve thebusiness,” says DeBerry, senior vice president and CIO of WesternWorld Insurance Group. “Maybe more than anything else in the lastcouple of years, technology has the ability to transform anorganization and change its future like nothing else. Having theability to make and see that kind of impact and drive a companyforward through growth and reach a new level of profitability ispretty exciting.”
||Rich Pedersen,Nationl LifeGroup
In defining an insurance company's culture, Rich Pedersen,senior vice president and CIO of National Life Group, believes itis important to understand what the existing culture is, what arethe norms of the people working for the company, and what are thestructures those employees work within.
|Coming to National Life four years ago, one of Pedersen'smandates was to change the culture around IT within the carrier.There were some sidesteps brought on by forces more powerful thanhe, but Pedersen is progressing toward that goal.
|“You can't just transform any one area alone, whether it isprocess, culture or systems,” he says. “You have to create aunifying message of transformation to get people to understandthere is a larger purpose for which you are about to lead themthrough—including a bunch of painful changes—and then lay out thesteps.”
||Rick Roy, CUNA Mutual
After two decades working on the vendor side, the opportunity torun an IT shop for himself was a big part of the attraction RickRoy found in joining CUNA Mutual Group nine years ago. Roy, thecarrier's senior vice president and CIO, is running IT again aftera three-year stint as director of operations and he's happy to beback.
|“The company was looking to elevate IT to more of a sharedservice as it has grown,” he says. “It's an interesting time [to bein IT] with all the mobility and consumerization going on in thetechnology world. It's also been fascinating being back in the CIOseat.”
|CUNA Mutual Group serves credit unions and its members. Thecarrier has a B-to-B side with products and services provided tocredit unions, according to Roy, and a consumer side with productsprovided directly to the members of credit unions.
||Bryan Fowler, Oregon Mutual
For many people in IT—particularly those in the insuranceindustry—a job with Progressive Insurance is considered a dreamopportunity because of the value the carrier places ontechnology.
|Bryan Fowler, who spent 12 years with Progressive before movingto Oregon Mutual Insurance, described the experience as likeworking for a start-up company within a successful business.
|“It was a lot of fun; a lot of energy and a lot of high-techtalent and focus,” he says. “Especially the start-up of theInternet business. That was my gig for a long time.”
||Take a look back at Insurance IT All-Starsfrom previous years.
|Read about the 2011 All-Stars here.
|Read about the 2010All-Stars here.
|Read about the 2009All-Stars here.
|Read about the 2008 All-Stars here
|Read about the 2007All-Stars here.
|Want to continue reading?
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