Appleton, Wisconsin (February 27, 2018) — With unanimous approval from the company’s Board of Directors, SECURA Insurance promoted five leaders to newly created positions: Tamara Bates, Regional Vice President–Sales; Amy DeHart, Vice President–Chief Actuarial Officer; Jennifer Fisher, Vice President–Property Claims; Carol Wedig, Vice President–Continuous Improvement; and Larry Wright, Vice President–Chief Claims Officer.
“These five individuals embody valuable qualities we look for in SECURA leaders, including a progressive vision for the future, collaborative spirit, and an appreciation for our dynamic company culture,” said Dave Gross, President & CEO. “Each brings a wealth of insurance industry expertise to guide their teams, and they will play important roles as our company continues growing to serve our policyholders and independent agency force.”
In 2017, SECURA topped $600 million in direct written premium for the first time while maintaining an A (Excellent) rating by A.M. Best, recognition as one of Ward’s 50® top performing property-casualty insurance companies, and its Great Place to Work certification.
Tamara Bates, Regional Vice President-Sales
Bates first joined SECURA in 1999 and held various positions in commercial underwriting, product development, risk management and, most recently, Regional Sales Director. Prior to SECURA, she worked for Sentry Insurance, Integrity Mutual Insurance, and Lake States Insurance Company.
Bates has a Bachelor of Science Degree in accounting and business administration from UW-Stevens Point and earned her Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designations. She also served on the steering committee for the Leadership Fox Cities Youth Program.
Amy DeHart, Vice President-Chief Actuarial Officer
DeHart joined SECURA’s Actuarial team in 2000 and was promoted to Vice President—Actuarial Services in 2013. She is responsible for overseeing the company’s pricing, reserving, strategic planning, and related functions.
Prior to joining SECURA, DeHart worked as an actuary for John Deere Transportation Insurance, a specialty writer of long haul trucking. DeHart received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.
Jennifer Fisher, Vice President-Property Claims
Fisher joined SECURA in 1998 as a multi-line claims representative and has held various roles of increasing responsibility, including 10 years as supervisor for inside property claims. She was promoted to director of property claims in 2012.
Fisher earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She is a 2017 graduate of Leadership Fox Cities and continues to pursue her CPCU designation. She is also active in the company’s Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Bowl For Kids’ Sake Committee and a Foundational Leadership Committee member.
Carol Wedig, Vice President-Continuous Improvement
Wedig started at SECURA in 2002 in Human Resources. Over the past 16 years, she held different positions in HR, Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, IT, and is currently the director of Continuous Improvement. Since its inception in 2016, Wedig has focused on building SECURA’s overall continuous improvement methodologies to help drive the company’s overall success.
Wedig earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in human resources management/management information systems from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and her MBA in general business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Training, obtained her Project Management Professional (PMP) designation, and earned the Masters Certificate in Project Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner.
Larry Wright, Vice President-Chief Claims Officer
Wright began his career at SECURA in 1997 as an IT programmer/analyst. He held progressive positions including IT supervisor, IT director, workers’ compensation claims representative, workers’ compensation claims supervisor, claims project manager, casualty representative, and litigation coordinator. Most recently he held the position of Vice President—Claims.
Wright earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He earned his CPCU, Certified Insurance Data Manager (CIDM), Associate in Insurance Services (AIS), and Associate in Claims (AIC) designations. He also earned a Master’s Certificate in project management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.
ABOUT SECURA INSURANCE
SECURA Insurance is headquartered in Appleton, Wis. More than 475 independent insurance agencies in 12 states represent the company, which provides a broad range of competitive commercial, personal, farm, nonprofit, and special events products. It is known for providing exceptional service to its agents and policyholders since 1900, and is rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best for its excellent ability to meet policyholder obligations. The carrier also is a Ward’s Top 50 company for outstanding results in financial performance and consistency over a five-year period. Visit www.secura.net to learn more.