Executive of the Month: AIG's John Q. Doyle

AIG was the top pick in our Risk Manager Choice Awards as the best overall commercial-insurance provider, ranking particularly high in Construction, D&O, Employment Practices, E&O, Ocean Marine, Umbrella/Excess Liability and Cyber Liability. That type of satisfaction is built on service, obviously, but also in the relationships you forge with clients. What's the philosophy at work there that sets AIG apart?

First, we are very grateful to our customers for the honor. I truly believe it is in our customers' best interest, as well as our own, to build sustainable, long-term relationships. It pays dividends in how we price the business, service the business and, at the end of the day, pay claims. Knowing our customers' business and needs is ­critical—that's a philosophy we pursue. As you note in your rankings, we operate in many lines. We work hard to innovative in all of them, and take great pride in doing so. I think customers appreciate our commitment to them and to the market, and they value the expertise we bring to their insurance programs.

Were the recent departures of four top AIG executives to build out an E&S business at Berkshire Hathaway a signal that there is a change in E&S strategy at AIG?

Not at all. We have every intention of building on our E&S market leadership. AIG, through Lexington, has been committed to the E&S market for over 45 years. It's hard to match that. We have a deep, seasoned bench of leadership at AIG. We have longstanding relationships with customers and brokers that have stood the test of time. We have a number of strengths that set us apart, including our global footprint and infrastructure, and our expertise in claims and loss control. These are things that customers look for when they access the E&S market, and they cannot be replicated overnight.

What specialty lines in particular are you excited about in 2013? Are there any areas in particular that AIG will be looking at more closely than before?

In our Specialty business, we see great potential in emerging markets—as these economies grow and become more sophisticated in their insurance buying. We have the platform in place already to serve them, which is a great advantage. We are also excited about the positive reaction to our Cyber Risk product and services. This is a hot topic within the industry and definitely something that keeps risk managers up at night, so having a market-leading solution for them has been gratifying on many levels.

What do AIG's results in the first quarter tell us about the P&C organization's strategy and focus for the remainder of 2013?

Results clearly indicate that we have the right strategy in place and it is having an impact. In our commercial business for example we are using data, better risk selection tools, and the right business mix to drive down the loss ratio. We have been successful in this: At the end of first quarter 2013, we had lowered our commercial accident year loss ratio by nearly 5 points compared to first quarter 2012 and 10 points from first quarter 2011. We are also driving profitable growth in net premiums, growing an adjusted 3.8% from the prior first quarter. Highlighting our progress, S&P upgraded our financial strength ratings following first quarter earnings. Our mandate for the remainder of 2013 is execution; execution against our strategy and our five-year plan.