While severe weather and rising costs made 2023 a challenging year for the insurance industry, Church Mutual President and soon-to-be CEO Alan Ogilvie is optimistic about the company’s outlook for the new year.
“Church Mutual remains financially strong, committed to its hometown of Merrill and poised for a successful future to support our customers, employees, and the communities where we work and do business,” Ogilvie said.
Founded in Merrill in 1897, Church Mutual remains the leading insurer of faith-based organizations in the U.S. and has also expanded its reach to serve many complementary markets including education, nonprofit and human services organizations, camps and outdoor recreation, and more. Decisions made in 2023 are paving the way for a strong 2024 and beyond.
Among the more difficult of those decisions was the elimination of a small number of positions across its nationwide operations. “We made the difficult, but necessary, decision to eliminate approximately 20 positions nationwide, based on business needs, now and in the future,” Ogilvie said.
Impacted employees have been encouraged to apply for open positions within the Church Mutual family of companies, as appropriate and in keeping with their career goals. Several have secured new roles within Church Mutual.
Earlier this year, Church Mutual offered a Voluntary Retirement Incentive (VRI) plan to eligible employees throughout the company. Nationwide, approximately 110 employees accepted the VRI offer. Some positions vacated by retiring employees will be backfilled.
These recent actions don’t mean Church Mutual isn’t growing. The company continues to recruit new talent and currently has about 50 openings listed at churchmutual.com/jobs.
“There’s no hiring freeze here,” Ogilvie said. “We continue to recruit and hire talent for positions aligned with our business strategy.”
Ogilvie stressed that the future of Church Mutual is bright and the company’s home base will remain in Merrill. “Our Home Office building is not for sale, and we are not moving,” Ogilvie said. “We are looking forward to continued growth and prosperity, which will benefit our customers, communities and employees.”