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Kathleen Savio (business executive)

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Kathleen Savio
Alma materIllinois State University
OccupationCEO of Zurich North America Website
Years active2018 - Present

Kathleen Savio (born 1965) is a business executive serving as the CEO of Zurich North America. She succeeded Mike Foley on January 1, 2018.[1] She was appointed to the role in September 2017.

Education

Kathleen received a bachelor's degree in speech communications and a master's degree in communications from Illinois State University.[2] She attended the six-week Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, and participated in Executive Management Programs at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.[2]

Career

Kathleen joined Zurich North America in an entry-level role as technical writer and editor in 1991.[3] She has since served in key management and leadership roles in communications, marketing, strategic initiatives, product underwriting, and change management. Her previous titles include Chief Administrative Officer, Vice President of North American Corporate and Marketing Communications, Vice President of Marketing Strategic Initiatives, and Director of Communications for Product Underwriting.[4]

Kathleen was the President of Alternative Markets from 2012 until her appointment as CEO, where she led the integration of Rural Community Insurance Services,[5] one of the largest crop insurance providers in the U.S., after Zurich bought the crop insurance unit from Wells Fargo in 2016.[6]

In 2015, Kathleen took part in President Barack Obama’s SelectUSA Investment Summit roundtable, joining six other business leaders from Swiss-owned companies at the White House to discuss apprenticeship opportunities in the United States.[7] The summit included the Swiss Vice President and Federal Councillor, United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Secretary of Labor, and the Director of the National Economic Council. It was at this meeting Kathleen signed Zurich's commitment to start the Zurich North America Apprenticeship Program, with a goal of training 100 apprentices by 2020.[8]

Chairs and affiliations

Kathleen is a board member for the American Insurance Association and the St. John's School of Risk Management.[9]

Kathleen served as chair of the Z Zurich Foundation, a $100 million-endowed foundation that provides local grants supporting youth, mental health and community resilience.[10] She stepped down from this role following her appointment as CEO.

Kathleen was the first chair of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation Chicago (IICF) Midwest Division board and was a member of the IICF National Board.[11]

In 2015, Kathleen became a member of The Chicago Network,[12] an organization of leading women in Chicago from the business, professional, cultural, nonprofit and educational communities.

Honors and recognition

Business Insurance's 2015 Women to Watch[13]

Insurance Business Magazine's Elite Women in Insurance 2017[14]

Risk & Insurance 2018 Insurance Executives to Watch[10]

References

  1. ^ Atkins, Ralph. "Zurich Insurance's US chief to step down in January". Financial Times. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b Mikus, Kim. "Kathleen Savio to replace retiring Zurich CEO". Chicago Daily Herald. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Zurich appoints company veteran for North America top job". FinNews. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Zurich North America CEO Foley Leaving; Savio Named Successor". Insurance Journal. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  5. ^ Jacob, Denny. "Zurich North America appoints new CEO". Property Casualty 360. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  6. ^ Johnson, Denise. "Zurich Completes Acquisition of RCIS Crop Insurance Business from Wells Fargo"". Insurance Journal. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  7. ^ Johnson, Denise. "Zurich to Add U.S.-Based Apprenticeships to Educational Program Offerings". Claims Journal. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  8. ^ Savio, Kathleen. "Opinion: Educating adult learners for adversity with apprenticeships in insurance". Hechinger Report. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Kathleen Savio". Zurich North America. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  10. ^ a b R&I Editorial Team. "Insurance Executives to Watch". Risk & Insurance. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  11. ^ "The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation Elects Midwest Division Board of Directors and Executive Committee". Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  12. ^ "The Chicago Network 2015-2016 Year in Review" (PDF). The Chicago Network. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  13. ^ Lerner, Matthew. "2015 Women to Watch: Kathleen Savio". Business Insurance. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  14. ^ "Elite Women in Insurance 2017". Insurance Business Magazine. Retrieved 20 February 2018.