CEO Journal: Farmers Prepared for the Tough Times

Part of the job of any CEO is to help prepare his or her company for tough times like now. Newly-named Farmers Insurance CEO F. Robert Woudstra talks about how Farmers prepared for the current downturn. He says the CEO can’t have all the answers — he has to listen to others.

  • Channels: Featured
  • Added: Friday, December 19, 2008
  • Run time: 3 min 10 sec
  • 2,472 views
  • Comments (7)
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User Comments

  1. Mark Royer

    December 22, 2008 at 11:11 am

    This is good information. I wish the leaders of the financial services industry had followed the lead of Farmers and Robert Woudstra.

  2. Yeah Yeah Yeah

    December 23, 2008 at 8:16 am

    Yes, after he ran off all the Zurich Small Business folks to let the “genius” personal lines folks to sell a product they don’t understand (commercial business)…..CUT CUT CUT
    I don’t trust ANY CEO, or for that matter ANYONE in Authority.
    To thy own self be true….that’s what these ‘leaders’ do…

  3. anon the mouse

    December 23, 2008 at 11:49 am

    Farmers is doing some things right. Farmers needs to work on ethics (agents20%/management80%). An executive wwith loose ethics transmitts directly to agent ethics. Dump PIF and go to Sales count.

  4. Peon Agent

    December 23, 2008 at 3:08 pm

    Well, it will be interesting to see if this CEO can do anything with this dinosaur of a company. Mark R must be a kool-aid drinking Farmers agent. Time will change that, though.

  5. carmen Pinto

    December 24, 2008 at 9:37 am

    Farmers grew in their core states only because the states do not allow any form of credit scoring and the department of insurance will not allow Farmers to over charge with excessive rate increases

  6. Informer

    December 27, 2008 at 3:56 pm

    What Carmen? I can name many states where Farmers grew and they DO allow credit scoring. You must not be very informed. Also, yeah yeah yeah is clearly an “old school” independent contractor that was burnt by much needed”change.” Get used to it bub or get out, you’re not an independent agent if you’re with Farmers!

  7. ethics 101

    December 29, 2008 at 12:40 pm

    Royer,
    You really should identify yourself as a Propaganda Minister (ie. Farmers Public Affairs employee) when you comment in a public forum so we know where your comments are coming from.

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