In this episode of The Leaderboard Podcast, Zach and Henry spoke with Bill Westrate, CEO and Chair-Elect of American Family Insurance. Bill shared some valuable insights into leadership, culture and planning. Here are a few takeaways from this episode:

Vision and Culture are Key: Bill emphasized the importance of having a clear vision and developing a strong culture within the organization. He talked about the shift from being operationally focused to being more focused on aspirations and culture, especially in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Planning is Essential: Bill stressed the importance of planning, especially during times of transition and uncertainty. He talked about the need to always be prepared for the future and to have a solid plan in place, even in the face of challenges like a pandemic or natural disasters.

Invest in the Community: Finally, Bill shared his personal commitment to investing in the community and the importance of companies being proud to be from the places where they operate. He talked about his involvement with the United Way and how being part of a great community can benefit both employees and the company as a whole.

"I think it's important that when we bring new people into the organization, we welcome them in, that we help them develop an appreciation for the culture and our values and the way we respect each other and work hard together." - Bill Westrate, CEO and Chair-Elect, American Family Insurance

Guest Bio

Bill oversees the American Family Insurance enterprise of companies. He is actively engaged in the strategy, operations, business development and innovation efforts AmFam Group, and he has a passion for community/social impact and progressing the company’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Bill started with American Family in 1996 as an actuarial analyst and later became the division’s actuarial manager, homeowners lines director and risk pricing director. In 2006, he was elected vice president of the Actuarial Division, and two years later he was named vice president of Personal Lines.

Bill became an executive vice president in July 2011, with oversight of the product line divisions: Commercial-Farm/Ranch, Life and Personal Lines. He continued in that role until becoming American Family chief operating officer in January 2014. In 2017, American Family promoted Bill to enterprise president, assuming that role from Chair and CEO Jack Salzwedel. Bill was then named CEO-Elect in 2021 in the organization’s succession plan for Jack’s retirement at the end of that year. In January 2022, he moved into his current position as CEO. In 2024, he will succeed Jack as chair of the board of directors.

Bill earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern College in mathematics. He is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and serves on the board of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.