Medical Mutual gets 1st local top exec in years [The Blade, Toledo, Ohio]

Aug. 07--Nearly 40 years ago, Gary Thieman started his career managing the insurance underwriting department at Toledo's former Blue Cross of Northwest Ohio.

The 62-year-old Toledo native will return to that same Sylvania Avenue building Aug. 16 to be the first locally based senior executive in years at Blue Cross' successor, Medical Mutual of Ohio.

Among his aims: increasing the Cleveland insurance company's business in northwest Ohio and raising awareness of Medical Mutual's 500-employee operations in Toledo.

Changes with health-care reform are making the insurance industry more challenging, Mr. Thieman said. As well as leading the northwest Ohio region, he will be Medical Mutual's senior vice president of sales and customer relations for commercial business, including regions in Ohio, Georgia, South Carolina, and Indiana.

"It's going to be an exciting four to five years," he said.

For now, Medical Mutual has a 30 percent commercial insurance market share in the Toledo area, said Ed Byers, company spokesman.

Mr. Thieman is a principal and vice president with Findley Davies, and he will leave the Toledo benefits consulting firm Friday. Findley Davies is preparing the next generation of owners, and Mr. Thieman had sold some shares and planned to retire in about five years, he said.

The past chairman of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce is a University of Toledo graduate. Leaving Findley Davies after more than 20 years will be tough, Mr. Thieman said.

"I love those guys -- they're a great company, great people, great culture," he said.

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