The world of insurance journalism lost one of its most prominent, talented and dedicated players with the retirement last week of Steve Piontek, editor of NU's life and health insurance edition.
Steve Piontek was here when I arrived at NU back in 1981, and he retired on April 30, a day short of his 30th anniversary. I have always admired Steve for his relentless honesty and integrity, as he time and again boldly challenged conventional wisdom in the industry.
Steve was never afraid to speak truth to power, whether in his lively magazine columns, or more recently via his blog (http://lifeandhealtheditor.com/). His signature moment came when he ran an editorial back in the mid-1990s calling for insurers to support gun control efforts for the health and safety of their policyholders.
The insurance industry can be a conservative bunch, and the howls of protest were loud when this editorial ran (picked up by the following week by my publication–the property and casualty edition of NU). We even received a death threat credible enough to warrant police protection.
However, Steve did get a pat on the back in the form of a letter from none other than Sarah Brady, wife of James Brady, who was shot during the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan in 1981. Mrs. Brady praised the "courageous" stand Steve took against popular opinion among his readership. This episode is just one example of how Steve told his readers what he thought they needed to hear, never just what they wanted to hear.
Steve could never be mistaken for an apologist for the insurance industry. But while he riled his readers regularly with controversial views, his principles echoed those of our founder, E.J. Wohlgemuth, who wrote over a century ago that "NU believes the best interests in the insurance business are served by taking the stand of the public," adding that the industry "can only be successful if conducted on the basis of the truest and best service."
Mr. Wohlgemuth went on to say that this stance "has kept NU from being a mere paid organ of special interests. Its policies are based on the broad foundation of good citizenship and the recognition that insurance…exists primarily not for the people who are engaged in it, but for the people whom they serve."
Mr. Wohlgemuth would have been proud of the way Steve sustained his legacy in his stalwart stewardship of one of NU's flagship publications. It has been an honor and privilege to serve with him.
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