A lot of property/casualty insurers are talking about digital transformations these days but the change taking shape at a midsized super regional carrier in Columbus, Ohio is different from the rest, executives of the carrier say.Executive SummaryState Auto CEO Mike LaRocco uses phrases like “going all in” to describe the bold moves the super regional carrier is making to push forward on a complete digital transformation. While “all in” means that customers in all lines and all states will be able to move onto the digital platform, it does not mean direct-to-customer sales as independent agency remain the core of carrier’s distribution strategy.
“Ours is a real one,” Michael LaRocco, chair and chief executive officer of State Auto Insurance Companies told Carrier Management during an interview in early November. “As other people talk about it, we’re actually doing it,” he said, referring to an 18-month effort to stand up a separate greenfield platform for new policyholders on which all transactions are absolutely paperless.
“No paper, no cash, no checks. The transaction is all e-signature. You pay with your credit card, or by giving us your checking account. That type of digital transformation is the core of what we’ve done,” LaRocco said.