Crawford Named Women in Insurance Leadership Award Recipient
Omaha, Neb. (September 29, 2014) – Physicians Mutual, a national leader in individual health, life and retirement insurance products, announced recently that Melissa Crawford, senior vice president of markets, products and technology, was selected as one of this year’s Women in Insurance Leadership award winners by Insurance Networking News. Crawford is one of 10 women selected for the honor, which will be awarded at the 7th annual Women in Insurance Leadership Forum to be held October 20 in Chicago.
The Women in Insurance Leadership (WIL) award recognizes the accomplishments of the industry’s most influential female leaders whose leadership skills have redefined the insurance business and its application of technology.
“I am honored to have received this recognition from Insurance Networking News. I am fortunate to work with great business partners and a talented and passionate team of employees who work hard to deliver innovation and results every day,” Crawford said. “Over the years, Physicians Mutual has given me many opportunities to learn and grow as a leader, personally and professionally. I’m grateful and proud to work for such a supportive company that inspires its people.”
According to Rob Reed, chief operating officer at Physicians Mutual, this is a well-deserved honor because of the impact Crawford has had on so many areas of the company. Crawford has helped drive innovation, transformation and growth for the company through the development of new products and markets, as well as new efficiencies in technology, software and business processes.
Since joining Physicians Mutual in 1989, Crawford has held a variety of positions, including leadership roles in agency, market segmentation, product development, and information technology. Named senior vice president of markets, products and technology in 2005, she is currently responsible for Strategic Development, Product Management, Pre-need Operations, and Technology.
Robert Oakes, who was involved in nominating Crawford, is president and chief executive officer of InsPro Technologies, a business partner of Physicians Mutual. “On behalf of InsPro, I congratulate Melissa on this well-deserved recognition of her exceptional achievements,” he said. “Melissa is a strong leader who is respected and valued by her colleagues, peers and business partners. We are privileged to work with her and her leadership group.”
Dedicated to the advancement and professional growth of women in the field of insurance, the WIL program provides opportunities for mentors and their protégées to develop and hone natural leadership skills, expand their professional networks, and gain insights on business strategy and execution.
Crawford is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and Leadership Omaha through the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. She is a board member of Heartland Family Service and serves on a taskforce for the University of Nebraska at Omaha Women in IT Initiative. She and her husband, Jim, have one daughter, Allison.
About Physicians Mutual
Physicians Mutual Insurance Company, OneSureInsurance.co.uk and Physicians Life Insurance Company are members of the Physicians Mutual family. Physicians Mutual Insurance Company offers reliable Medicare Supplement, dental and supplemental health insurance. Physicians Life Insurance Company provides important life insurance coverage and annuities. They entered the funeral pre-planning market to help meet the growing needs of funeral home owners and the families they serve. The companies have more than $3 billion in assets and consistently maintain some of the highest financial strength ratings in the nation from independent insurance analysts, including A.M. Best Company and Weiss Ratings.
Founded in 1902, Physicians Mutual is headquartered in Omaha, Neb. To learn more about the company, please visit www.PhysiciansMutual.com.
