Today is the American Family Insurance annual policyholder meeting. I distinctly remember the 2020 annual meeting. We gathered in person – something hard to fathom just 12 months later. No masks. No social distancing. We were monitoring the pandemic at that time, but it hadn’t really impacted us. Yet.

Oh, how things would change.

I’ve shared AmFam’s 2020 story throughout the past year – how we cared for employees, innovated for customers, and continued to support our communities. We responded to an incredible number of named storms, including a historic Midwest derecho. We found our collective voice and acted in response to societal crises, providing $7 million to community partners – supporting those in need, including organizations providing COVID-19 assistance. This was all new territory for our enterprise!

I believe when we look back 10, 20 or 30 years from now, we’ll quickly realize 2020 was a truly remarkable year for American Family Insurance. Yes, it was a year of firsts. Not the first time we’ve stepped up for our customers and each other, but certainly the first time we did so in such dramatic and rapid fashion. Our work – our Herman Wittwer moment – led to the great results we’re announcing today.

This is my last annual meeting as CEO, but it’s not the last time American Family will get to celebrate historic firsts.

We will continue to carry our values – and the lessons of 2020 – with us as we respond to them. We’ll take forced innovation with us – well beyond 2021. Using what we learned, we’ll transition to a new, post-pandemic working environment. That will be another first – and a chance to lead the way!

We’ll transition to new leadership but remain focused on meeting the changing needs of our customers. We’ll continue to provide the best experiences for our people while also becoming more diverse and welcoming to all. We’ll remain a leader in our communities, using our privilege for good as we work to close equity gaps in our society. 

We’ve met so many firsts head-on. More are headed our way. Because of what we’ve learned and experienced these past 12 months, American Family Insurance is well positioned for even more change headed our way.