Crum & Forster’s (C&F) Accident & Health (A&H) Division proudly celebrated its 25th anniversary, a milestone that reflects just how far we’ve come. What began as a small, scrappy group of underwriters and visionaries has grown into a more than $2 billion entity—stable and trusted, known for innovation and adaptability, and powered by a culture that puts its people and its partners first.

The journey from those early days to today hasn’t always been easy, but it has been one of the most rewarding rides of my career, and one that I think offers important lessons about how to grow, evolve and lead with purpose.

The success of A&H is rooted in foresight, adaptability and a strong team culture that has carried the division to what it is today: a market leader with a diverse portfolio and international reach. Our ability to anticipate market shifts and respond quickly has been especially evident in the gig and sharing economy, for example, where in just three years, we’ve become one of the top three writers nationwide. This achievement underscores our commitment to innovation and our willingness to embrace new opportunities that others might overlook.

Small Beginnings, Big Belief

When A&H was created in 2000, no one knew quite how far it would go. Back then, we were a handful of people with an idea: that there was room in the market for a team that could think differently, move quickly and provide specialized products for unique customer needs.

In the early days, it wasn’t about massive revenue targets or market dominance. It was about rolling up our sleeves, learning from every client interaction and steadily building trust. We listened closely, evaluated constantly and weren’t afraid to take risks on niche products that bigger players ignored.

That entrepreneurial spirit set the foundation: We weren’t trying to be everything to everyone; we were focused on being excellent in the areas where we knew we could win.

Finding Opportunities Others Missed

A hallmark of A&H’s success has been spotting opportunities others overlooked. Pet insurance is a perfect example. Twenty years ago, it was a niche market with limited consumer awareness. We saw the potential, took the risk and built a profitable business well before the COVID-19 pet adoption boom.

By scaling through strategic partnerships, innovative products and a focus on customer needs, we established one of the industry’s largest and most respected portfolios. The sale of our pet business in 2022 further demonstrated the value we created and our ability to capitalize on market opportunities. The transaction delivered an exponential return, with a remarkable ROI, underscoring the exceptional profitability of our investment.

Our entry into the sharing economy and transportation sector is another example of how we identified and seized opportunities that others missed. In early 2019, we jumped into the shared economy and paved the way by building out a product suite tailored to the unique needs of gig workers. We leveraged our lessons learned in transportation and deployed key differentiators, such as policy forms and usage-based premiums (premiums attached directly to exposure, such as per-hour, per-mile, per-delivery or per-job rates). This was a major innovation, as gig workers often work for minutes at a time, unlike more traditional monthly or annual insurance models. While we weren’t the first writer in this space, we were the first to do it the best—establishing a brand of excellence and setting ourselves apart from competitors.

It’s the same story with other products over the years. From travel insurance to medical and special risk insurance programs, we’ve built our reputation by anticipating needs and being bold enough to go where others haven’t.

A prime example of our ability to scale is the employer stop loss (ESL) line. As the largest and one of the fastest-growing lines within A&H, the ESL line is built on a diversified strategy, serving both program managing general underwriters (MGU) and direct broker markets. By leveraging partnerships with MGUs and maintaining direct broker relationships, C&F’s ESL line provides coverage to a broad spectrum of employer groups. This approach, combined with disciplined risk management and a national presence, has positioned C&F among the top 15 writers of employer stop loss coverage in the United States, supporting employers with solutions for a complex healthcare environment.

The growth of our ESL line is a testament to our disciplined strategy and adaptability. Even through this line’s considerable growth, our focus remains on building a strong, diversified portfolio while supporting our teams and partners to deliver consistent value to clients.

Scaling Up Without Losing Our DNA

Growth is exciting, but it comes with challenges. How do you take a small, entrepreneurial unit and scale it into a $2.5 billion business—heading toward $5 billion—without losing the culture and flexibility that made it special in the first place?

For us, the answer has always been people. We’ve built teams that are not only talented but also deeply aligned with our mission. We invest in developing our employees, promoting them from within whenever possible and giving people room to grow. Many of our leaders today started in junior roles at C&F years ago. From offering executive coaching to nurturing the development of our next generations of future leaders through a variety of initiatives, we actively encourage our people to be their best and do their best.

Sustained success in insurance comes from diversification. Relying too heavily on one product or segment can be risky. Our stability and growth over the past 25 years have come from a diverse product portfolio that balances risk across sectors. When COVID hit, travel insurance revenue plummeted, while our pet insurance revenue surged. Because we weren’t tied to a single revenue stream, we weathered downturns and continued growing. Our diversification also includes robust medical and special risk insurance offerings, which further strengthen our ability to serve a wide range of clients and needs. Diversification isn’t just a strategy, it’s a necessity.

We also made a conscious choice to remain adaptable. Even as we expanded, added new product lines and integrated technology, we never let bureaucracy or layers of hierarchy slow us down. We’ve tried to keep that entrepreneurial DNA alive—the mindset that got us off the ground in the first place—by empowering people closest to the business so decisions can get made quickly.

Our commitment to steady leadership and core products has made us a carrier of choice. While others have moved in and out of product lines, we’ve remained a reliable, consistent partner, showing up, delivering and leading with integrity.

Culture as a Competitive Advantage

What truly sets A&H apart isn’t only the products or the strategy. It’s also the culture. We are a people-first division inside a people-first company. That means treating employees like partners, listening to their ideas and making sure they feel part of the success we’re building.

When challenges come—and they always do—it’s the people and the culture that get us through. The past handful of years have brought plenty of uncertainty, from a global pandemic to shifting working arrangements to economic ups and downs. But because we’ve built a resilient, supportive culture, our team stayed focused, engaged and motivated. We didn’t just survive those challenges; we found ways to grow through them together. This approach has made us a trusted partner, recognized for our willingness to collaborate and adapt to the evolving needs of our clients.

During COVID, I felt it was important to keep everyone connected and supported, even as we moved to remote work. Within three weeks, our team transitioned to a fully remote workplace, and I was proud of how everyone adapted so quickly. To help maintain that sense of connection, we shifted from quarterly to monthly town halls, and I asked our team leaders to hold weekly video calls, with cameras on, so we could check in on each other and make sure everyone was doing okay. These conversations weren’t just about business; they were about making sure people felt heard and cared for.

We also tried to keep things fun and engaging by introducing trivia games, remote happy hours and other ways to stay connected. Even when we couldn’t be together in person, we found ways to keep our culture strong.

Bringing people together has always been important to us, whether it’s through internal events or by connecting with our producer partners. We’ve made it a priority to invest in these gatherings because building and maintaining strong relationships—both inside and outside the company—is a significant part of who we are.

Navigating an Industry in Motion

The insurance industry never stands still. Over the past 25 years, we’ve seen customer expectations shift dramatically. Technology has changed how we work, regulations have evolved, and the world has become more interconnected.

A&H has remained successful by leaning into those changes instead of resisting them. We’ve embraced technology that makes us faster, wiser and more efficient. A great example of this is Travel Insured International (TII), one of the nation’s leading providers of trip protection and a valued brand within C&F’s A&H Division. TII has integrated advanced digital platforms and streamlined claims processes to create a smoother, more frictionless experience for our customers. By adopting new technologies, TII has enhanced the real-time quote and purchase experience for both consumers and distribution partners.

Our A&H Division’s ongoing investment in digital development will continue throughout 2026 with a focus on improving policy search and modification capabilities, expanding API integration flexibility, and automating claims processes, all with the goal of delivering exceptional customer experience.

Our brand portfolio now includes partnerships with some of the most recognized names in travel, health and specialty markets, including leaders in the shared gig economy and on-demand transportation sectors. These relationships reflect not only our underwriting expertise but also our commitment to collaboration and shared success. We’ve taken chances on startups and new ventures, helping them grow from zero to industry leaders; proof that when you play your “A game,” you can win big.

Adopt an Entrepreneurial and Opportunistic Mindset

Successful insurance leaders don’t just react to market trends; they anticipate and create opportunities. C&F’s early entry into the gig economy and pet insurance markets demonstrates our willingness to take calculated risks and innovate ahead of the curve. We approach new product concepts with an open mind, designing solutions tailored to evolving needs. When we expanded into gig and pet insurance, we ran countless models projecting profitability. But market shifts and regulatory changes meant those projections were just estimates. By setting realistic confidence intervals, we could pivot and adjust as needed.

Looking Ahead

As we move past the 25-year milestone, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished, but I’m even more excited about what’s next. The opportunities in A&H are bigger than ever. Demand for innovative products continues to grow. Technology is creating new ways to serve customers and manage risk, and our team is as strong and energized as I’ve ever seen it.

The future will be shaped by the same principles that brought us here: staying entrepreneurial, putting people first and always being willing to take smart risks. If we hold on to those values, the next 25 years will be even more successful.

Lessons From the Journey

If I had to boil down what I’ve learned from A&H’s 25-year journey, it would come down to three things:

1. Believe in the long game. Big successes rarely happen overnight. They’re the result of steady effort, patience and belief in your vision.
2. Bet on people. Products and markets will change, but talented, motivated people are the actual engine of growth.
3. Stay adaptable. The world will throw curveballs. The organizations that thrive are the ones willing to evolve and learn how to predict and respond to the next one.

Accident & Health started as a small idea. Today, it’s one of Crum & Forster’s proudest achievements. That didn’t happen by accident—it happened because of vision, hard work and a culture that believes in doing things the right way. Twenty-five years ago, we bet on ourselves, and I’d take that bet again.