Taking Action: How Insurers Can Lead by Example with ESG

Overview

Carrier Management Presents Strategy Sessions – A Lunch Hour Look at Critical Topics with Industry Movers and Shakers  

Episode 11 Taking Action: How Insurers Can Lead by Example with ESG

Hosted by:

Elizabeth Blosfield

Deputy Editor,
Carrier Managemen

Special Guest:

Thomas M. Troy

President & CEO,
CSAA Insurance

 

As environmental, social, and governance issues are increasingly becoming a bigger topic of discussion in the insurance industry, Thomas Troy, president and CEO of CSAA Insurance Group – a provider of auto, home, and other personal lines of insurance – says he is hoping to “walk the talk” and lead by example.

In 2020, the company began fully transitioning to an ESG framework with the goal of establishing itself as a leader in this area. It has purchased renewable energy, launched a Community Investments Program that funds development initiatives in low-income communities, and set a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2025, among other initiatives. CSAA is also working toward enlarging its fleet of electric vehicles, supporting its employees working from home, and prioritizing ethnic diversity among senior leadership and management.

Watch now as Troy discusses his approach to ESG, the importance he sees in setting an example for the industry, how CSAA is working to serve its employees, customers, and communities, and the benefits and challenges the company has seen from this approach.

What You’ll Learn:

  • The biggest challenges when establishing an ESG framework
  • The most important steps to bring ambitious ESG goals to fruition
  • The importance of continuing to analyze and reassess these efforts
  • The insurance industry’s ESG successes and what it still has to learn
  • The future of ESG for CSAA and the industry as a whole

About Our Guest – Thomas M. Troy is president and chief executive officer of CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA insurer. With more than 100 years of experience serving AAA members, CSAA Insurance Group offers automobile, homeowners and other personal lines of insurance to AAA members through AAA clubs. CSAA Insurance Group has been rated A or better by A.M. Best for more than 90 years, and is one of the top property and casualty personal lines insurers in the United States.

Mr. Troy is part of a leadership team that cultivates innovation in a customer-driven organization focused on serving AAA members during life’s uncertainties.

He joined CSAA Insurance Group in 2019, and brings 30+ years of insurance experience to his role as president and CEO.

He was previously an executive vice president at Allstate, where he led a $5 billion portfolio of Allstate Business Insurance, Encompass Insurance, Esurance and Ivantage. He was promoted to that role from executive vice president of Allstate Brand Operations, where his broad areas of responsibility included agency and customer service, operations support, strategic portfolio management, operations finance and customer experience. With a proven track record for working successfully with agents and brokers in a variety of distribution models, Mr. Troy understands deeply the changing needs and preferences of insurance consumers. Prior to Allstate, he was EVP and COO with Liberty Mutual and, before that, held senior leadership positions with Safeco Corporation.

Mr. Troy is a board member of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association and the Bay Area Council. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and his MBA from Seattle University.