You've been in the insurance business for nearly 30 years now, in several leadership roles. What is it that makes heading up American Modern an attractive challenge for you, following your accomplishments at USAA?

It's an attractive challenge because I have the opportunity to lead a company that has a long tradition of success to “the next level” as part of Munich Re's U.S. insurance operations. I know from my personal experiences that there isn't a successful company on the planet that doesn't have opportunities for improvement, and that's what excites me. I think my experiences at USAA and other companies will allow me to work with other dedicated employees at American Modern to foster an environment that will allow us to become a multibillion-dollar company in the next 10-13 years.

What are some of the specialty lines in which you feel American Modern has had a significant impact of late, and what are some of the ones that might be trending up or showing more promise at the moment?

We have had tremendous success with our specialty-dwelling products aimed at vacant, seasonal and rental homes. Our deep experience in pricing and underwriting these kinds of risks serves us well in meeting the needs of agent partners, strategic alliance partners and the end consumer. We have also seen dramatic growth in the collector-vehicle market due to the strengthening of relationships with several key specialty agent partners. We possess a very deep knowledge base in this area.

American Modern's subsidiary companies are rated A+ by A.M. Best and the group has been selected for 14 consecutive years as one of the Top 50 P&C insurance companies in the U.S. by the Ward Financial Group. What's the strategy behind maintaining that standard of client service that keeps American Modern held in such high regard?

While the A.M. Best and Ward ratings are largely a reflection of our company's financial stability and results, there is certainly an implication of the kind of superior client service that it takes to sustain those lofty ratings and financial performance. The strategy isn't all that complicated. The challenge is in the execution. Put simply, we strive to achieve “zero defects” in the delivery of our products and services to our business partners and customers. We are a company of expertise, and we do our best to let that expertise show in all our interactions.

How would you describe the benefits of being owned by Munich Re? How would you characterize that relationship?

American Modern was a solid company before it was purchased by Munich Re. But there is little doubt that being part of a global organization with expansive resources has helped make us an even better company when it comes to risk management and investments in infrastructure. I tend to refer to the relationship as “the best of both worlds” because we can enjoy the benefit of having access to their expertise and resources while being allowed to run our business as we see fit given our deep knowledge and success in the specialty primary insurance market.

Special Reports /

Executive of the Month: Manny Rios, American Modern Insurance Group

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