A Letter from the Divisional President: Mark Vuono

As a Company and Division, we have always prided ourselves in meeting major challenges with keen determination and the focus to overcome any obstacles to succeed. It is safe to say that the events of this past year were certainly unexpected and not anticipated by anyone, but we remained committed to our high level of service and support during these extraordinary times to ensure you had access to the products and services you needed to best serve your clients.

2020 has certainly been an interesting and challenging year, mostly for all the wrong reasons, but as I reflect back, I want to focus on the positives and recognize the great work that was done by our team. Below highlights just a handful of what we accomplished over the past year:

• Our efforts with Align General represented our expansion into the GL market! Great American Environmental is proud of the successful debut of our first product collaboration with a managing general agent (MGA).
• We announced the successful debut of our collaboration with Lions Gate Underwriting (LGU) to offer contractor and premises environmental liability coverage in Canada which provides contractors pollution and professional liability coverage along with premises environmental liability products.
• We continued the expansion of several existing programs, implemented with key specialty brokers. We are delighted to continue these mutually beneficial relationships and look forward to the success and expansion of these programs in 2021.
• We finalized the newest addition to its suite of environmental product - Products Pollution is specifically designed for manufacturers and distributors of various products including but not limited to paints and chemicals, metal goods, automotive parts, machinery and machinery parts, plastic and rubber goods, and other commercial products.
• We introduced our new, educational platform – The Environmental Broker/Agent Toolkit developed as a one-stop shop for access to all the educational tools and resources needed to assist in successfully marketing environmental insurance to current and prospective clients.*
• We developed a new construction Riskopolis series representing the many potential risks utility contracting professionals face in their line of work and expanded on our Claims Scenario Library.
• We expanded our product video suite with the addition of the Premise Environmental Liability Protection video which illustrates how Great American’s Environmental Division provides protection against environmental liability resulting from pollution conditions associated with a covered location.
• Our Broker Satisfaction Survey was conducted to help us ensure we are supporting our brokers’ and their clients' business needs.
• We participated in a variety of charitable events virtually including the Wall Street Run & Heart Walk and Co-Hosted Trivia Event with IICF as well as industry conferences including Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR): 2020 California Land Recycling Conference
• Continuing the tradition of our focus on team building throughout the year, we hosted a variety of virtual events and gatherings.
• We not only maintained but also strengthened our relationships with key brokers and clients. Our team took every measure to provide seamless continuity in our service to our brokers and agents. Our underwriters have become experts on all our video conference platforms – we invite you to connect with them!
• We also developed new relationships with many brokers across the country and the continued success of our Great Rewards Program. Sign up today!
• Our media presence has continued to increase in an effort to communicate the importance of environmental insurance for commercial customers – especially in today’s circumstances.

*Where permitted by law.

Overcome and adapt was the overriding mantra for 2020, and all our teams excelled at this. While they could have easily become frustrated and overwhelmed with all the obstacles and challenges placed before them, they chose to work harder and smarter.

• Our National and Executive Underwriting teams remained focused on providing superior customer service as well as creative and flexible product offerings needed to meet our clients’ needs. Their dedication to the development and fostering of strong broker relationships while remaining committed to our underwriting discipline served us well and will pay dividends in the future. Our associate underwriters’ attention to detail and strong work ethic does not go unnoticed. While much of their work is done behind the scenes, we simply could not operate without all the hard work they do each day.
• Our Technical Support team provided solid service to both our claims and underwriting operations throughout the year. Their willingness to lend their expertise to our collaboration process is vital and provides not only quality technical knowledge on individual risks but also serves as an excellent learning opportunity for all our underwriters and claims professionals. Keeping up to date on changing regulations and emerging issues is a constant struggle, and our Technical Support team does a first-rate job keeping us ahead of the curve.
• Our Claims Department had an extraordinary year. They handled all claims with professionalism and service at the forefront. Through strong leadership and a team approach, they addressed many unexpected and unplanned COVID-19 claims while still managing their normal workload. With this commitment to excellence, the team successfully exceeded all of the goals established internally and by our corporate office.
• Our marketing team’s continued dedication and hard work has helped to further advance our profile in the market space. Even more important, the development of better marketing resources has strengthened our broker relationships. They continue to find and cultivate opportunities for us to speak to new and diverse audiences and author articles that raise awareness of our products and services.* 

*Where permitted by law.

Great American has a long history of company stability. Dating back to 1872, Great American Insurance Company has navigated periods of uncertainty and various economic cycles. This strength reflects on the continued execution of a long-term strategy focused on profitable growth while honoring our commitments. As a result, Great American as a company is well positioned to handle the potential complexities that may evolve from COVID-19. Despite the pandemic, the Great American P&C Group has performed very well. During this remote work-at-home period, the superior level of service that customers have come to expect from Great American has not wavered.

For 2021, you can be confident that our team is continuing taking measures to provide seamless continuity in our service to you. We are excited to feature upcoming business expansion opportunities within both our traditional offerings and new programs including:

• Our new TankAssure Pollution Program is launching with online quoter tool capabilities!
• Our team of experts will host an all new environmental insurance-focused podcast.
• We will continue our expansion of various webinars and virtual resources.
• We will continue to focus on our keys to success. Focusing on strategic growth in which we ensure our culture remains at the forefront of any business decisions, these “keys” will help to guide us in best serving our customer needs for the next decade and beyond.
  • Professionalism: To work with all people in an ethical and respectful manner
  • Quality: To ensure that our work product is complete, accurate and meets the needs of our customers
  • Service-Oriented: To constantly exceed the needs of our customers as best as possible
  • Ownership: To take responsibility for our actions and commitment to a strong work ethic
  • Change: To adapt to change which remains a constant within our industry
  • Collaboration: To work as a team because we’re stronger together than we are individually

Only by excelling in these core principles will we be able to “climb the mountain” and maintain our position as one of the industry’s premier environmental insurance carriers.

Overall, I am proud of the remarkable accomplishments the Environmental Division has achieved despite the constant hurdles this year has dealt us all both personally and professionally. I am very proud to be associated with the great group of people in our division, and I look forward to even better times for all us.

I would also like to thank you – our various business associates – for your business and continued support. We look forward to a happy, healthy, safe and prosperous new year of business. Onward and upward!

Sincerely,
Mark Vuono

Mark Vuono, Divisional President
Great American Environmental Division

Mark is Divisional President after holding the position of Chief Underwriting Officer since the start of Great American’s Environmental Division. Along with his extensive experience in the insurance field including business planning, product development, underwriting and training, his background also includes experience as an environmental specialist as well as a health & safety officer. He is based out of our Exton, Pennsylvania office.