Main Street America Promotes Jeff Kusch to EVP, Insurance Operations

Business Wire

Senior Executive will Oversee Sales and Core Product Areas

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Main Street America Group announced Jeff Kusch, who has led the company’s field sales function for the past two years, has been promoted to executive vice president, insurance operations.

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The Main Street America Group has promoted senior executive Jeff Kusch to executive vice president, insurance operations. (Photo: Business Wire)

In addition to continuing to oversee the super-regional property/casualty insurance carrier’s sales and marketing operations, Kusch will also have responsibility for its three core product areas: commercial lines, personal lines and bonds. Product vice presidents Dan Gaynor (commercial), Nancy Giordano-Ramos (bonds) and Debbie Murphy (personal) will report to Kusch. Additionally, Main Street America’s five regional presidents will continue to report to Kusch: Mark Berger (Northeast Region), Steve Berry (New England Region), Chris Cox (Florida Region), Tiffany Daly (Western Region) and Dave Randle (Southeast Region).

Kusch will continue to report to Main Street America chairman and chief executive officer Tom Van Berkel.

“Jeff has proven himself to be an effective leader and a key member of our senior management team,” Van Berkel said. “His accomplishments as our head of field operations include partnering with our commercial lines and personal lines management teams to drive a significant production increase over the past year, with net written premium growth being achieved throughout all five of our regions in 2016. Jeff’s expanded role builds upon the momentum we have generated.”

In addition to his new executive vice president position, Kusch will remain president of three Main Street America affiliate carriers: Austin Mutual Insurance Company, Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance Company and Spring Valley Mutual Insurance Company.

Kusch joined Austin Mutual in 1992 as an accounting manager. His leadership roles at Austin Mutual included treasurer, secretary, president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board. Following Austin Mutual’s affiliation with Main Street America in 2012, Kusch became its Western Region president, a role he held until his appointment in 2015 as senior vice president, field operations. Prior to joining Austin Mutual, Kusch was a member of the senior audit staff at Coopers & Lybrand LLP.

Kusch earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Winona State University, Winona, Minn. He is a Certified Public Accountant. Additionally, Kusch is a member of the board of directors of the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS), Property Loss Research Bureau (PLRB) and the TrustedChoice.com agent referral platform.

About The Main Street America Group

With roots dating back to 1923, The Main Street America Group is a mutual insurance holding company which writes business through its nine property/casualty insurance carriers: NGM Insurance Company, Old Dominion Insurance Company, Austin Mutual Insurance Company, Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance Company, Main Street America Assurance Company, Great Lakes Casualty Insurance Company, MSA Insurance Company, Spring Valley Mutual Insurance Company and Main Street America Protection Insurance Company. Based in Jacksonville, Fla., Main Street America offers a wide range of commercial and personal insurance, as well as fidelity and surety bond products, to individuals, families and businesses throughout the United States.

With more than $1 billion in premium written exclusively by 2,500 independent insurance agents, the 93-year-old company insures 600,000 policyholders in 36 states and writes bonds in 47 states and the District of Columbia. A.M. Best Company rates The Main Street America Group with an "A" (Excellent) financial strength rating and “a+” issuer credit rating. The company has $1.1 billion in surplus (capital) and over $2.5 billion in total assets.

Main Street America is the founding company partner of Trusted Choice^®, the global branding program of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. Main Street America is also a founding company partner of the www.TrustedChoice.com agent referral platform and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) Research Center. For more information about Main Street America, please visit our newsroom at http://news.msagroup.com or connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MainStreetAmerica.