Work History

SAFETY & INSURANCE, Bismarck, ND 2004 - 2007
$1.4 billion provider of workers' compensation insurance in North Dakota encompassing 330,000 covered workers through 20,000 policyholders with $147 million in annual premiums.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO)
Led 7 direct and 233 indirect reports in establishing vision and strategic plan to ensure profitable outcomes, cost efficiency, and product enhancement. Managed, visualized, and planned all operations including fiscal management, performance measurement, benchmarking, resource management, and corporate vision integration. Maintained corporate stability, instituted corporate value system, and collaborated extensively with legislators, labor unions, and trade associations.
Key Achievements
  • Held paid losses to a growth rate of less than one-half-of-one-percent per year, 7 times less than rate of inflation and 12 times less than growth of healthcare spending over the same period of time.
  • Achieved $1.10 per $100 of reportable payroll (44% of industry median). Maintained lowest workers’ compensation rates in United States as published in the Oregon Premium Rate Ranking Summary.
  • Within two years, reduced the total number of temporary paid days 52% and the average number of days paid per claim 62%.
  • Reduced ultimate annual claims allowance rate from 93% to 90% through implementation of evidence-based treatment and disability guidelines that more effectively benchmarked outcomes.
  • Created new performance-based discount programs which reduced overall frequency and severity of claims filed while at the same time tripling the premium discounts to $15 million annually.
  • Increased first-call resolution for customers contacting call center 16% (from 61% in 2004 to 71% in 2007). Average number of calls increased 2% and average speed to answer was just 32 seconds.
  • Saved more than $5.4 million (12%) in medical costs within one year while still providing superior care to injured workers.
  • Secured legislative approval for $14-20 million transformation of information technology platform to create an industry-first, fully-integrated system. Estimated savings of $2.7 million annually with a four- to five-year ROI.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION, Columbus, OH 1995 - 2004
Largest exclusive workers’ compensation system and fourth-largest underwriter of workers’ compensation in the United States. $19 billion fund is comprised of 2,650 employees located in 16 customer service centers.
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER (COO) / ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR (2001 - 2004)
Advised CEO on policy matters and managed organization’s core operational functions. Managed 7 direct and 1,500 indirect reports. Oversaw field operations, finance, quality assurance, staff development, human resources, employee safety, and contact center operations. Communicated extensively with legislators, labor unions, and trade associations.
Key Achievements
  • Saved $7 million annually by creating and guiding consolidation plan to transition 21 customer service offices into 16, which streamlined operations and reduced administrative costs.
  • Improved claim filing lag 37% and reduced medical costs 11%, wage costs 22%, and absent days 46%.
  • Reduced healthcare payouts $4 million in one year despite medical inflation increasing 4.42%.
  • Succeeded in returning 98% of all injured workers back to work—90% returning within two weeks of the injury.
  • Reengineered workforce from 4,100 to 2,650 while improving business performance.
CHIEF OF EMPLOYER OPERATIONS / SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT (1999 - 2001)
Managed organization’s $1.8 billion annual risk insurance and management program and safety and health programs. Managed 6 direct and 300 indirect staff members. Managed the premium ratemaking, premium collection, program administration, and systems development programs as well as serving as the CEO’s final arbitrator for contested policyholder disputes. Managed workforce health and safety including oversight of safety training centers/programs, safety consulting services, advanced safety research programs, and safety expositions. Managed 800 line/contact centers that received in excess of 3.4 million incoming calls, chats, and e-mails a year.
Key Achievements
  • Assisted in stabilizing and reducing premium rates 34% and returning more than $10 billion to policyholders in the form of premium dividend credits without reducing one benefit provided to injured workers.
  • Created and implemented grant program designed to assist policyholders with purchasing equipment and other materials to reduce or eliminate injuries. $40 million committed to matching grant program.
  • Assisted in reducing claim filing lag 69% and increased the percentage of claims filed within 14 days to 81%.
  • Developed set of lifting guidelines in partnership with University, educating employees in an attempt to reduce back injuries that accounted for 25% of all workers’ compensation claims and 40% of costs.
  • Developed and implemented cutting-edge safety programs that reduced medical-only claims 13% and lost-time claims 42%.
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR OF CUSTOMER SERVICE / SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT (1995 - 1999)
Managed 4 direct and 100 indirect staff members. Managed communication and marketing functions, oversight of 800 line, internal customer training program for 3,000 employees, Web site, and production of quarterly magazine for 125,000 customers. Served as senior management representative on organization’s Total Quality Management (TQM) Administrative Board and CEO’s final arbitrator for contested policyholder disputes. Assisted in leading transition from an exclusive work-related healthcare system to a private managed-care system.
Key Achievements
  • Assisted in the implementation of a private managed-care system (Health Partnership Program). HPP increased efficiencies and reduced delays more than 70%. From 1997 to 2004, HPP saved $165 million.
  • Reinvented and reengineered quarterly magazine distributed to more than 125,000 customers. Publication was named “Best of Show” against all other forms of communications in a national competition.
  • Minimized reporting delays 52% and saved $25 million in process reduction costs by instituting a single OSHA- and HIPAA-compliant First Report of Injury (FROI) form from eight separate forms.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER SERVICE &
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE (1994 – 1995)
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR / CEO (1993 - 1994) 		1993 - 1995