Chief Executive Officer John Benson will retire from Frankenmuth Insurance on Sept. 3, 2021, with 25 years of dedicated service and leadership. Patriot Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Frankenmuth Insurance.
After working with Frankenmuth Insurance for eight years as an independent auditor, John joined Frankenmuth Insurance as the Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer in 1996, bringing 13 years of experience in financial leadership to the company. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 2000, following his promotion to Executive Vice President. He was subsequently promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer in 2002, President and Chief Executive Officer in 2008, and elected as Chairperson of the board in 2012. Following retirement, John will retain his role as Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Frankenmuth Insurance and its six subsidiary companies.
Throughout John’s tenure, Frankenmuth Insurance developed new products and services, completed a successful merger with Patriot Insurance Company, launched Patriot Life Insurance Company and a Surety division, expanded its company footprint into several Midwest and Southeast states, and spearheaded a massive system transformation. He also led the company during its milestone 150th anniversary celebration in 2018.
John shares, “I am incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to work in this wonderful and noble insurance industry. It has been an absolute pleasure and honor to work with our agencies for the last 25 years. Frankenmuth’s strong agency relationships, along with shared values and work ethic, have enabled all of us to serve policyholders well and make our communities and companies better, for generations to come. I cannot thank our agency partners enough for everything they’ve done to help Frankenmuth Insurance provide peace of mind to our policyholders and be the great company it is today.”
Beyond leading Frankenmuth Insurance, John has served the community at large through various boards, committees, and civic groups. He is a former Board Member of the Frankenmuth Economic Development Corporation and Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he is a former member of the Frankenmuth Downtown Development Authority and One Hundred Club of Saginaw County. He is an active member and past President of the Frankenmuth Noon Rotary Club and member of Blessed Trinity Catholic Church.
John is a United States Navy veteran and Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He holds a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a designation as an Associate in Insurance Accounting and Finance (AIAF). John was inducted into Northwood University’s “Gallery of Distinction” and received the Honorary Doctor of Laws degree, representing the highest award a university can make to an individual who has contributed to society in a meaningful way. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants.
Upon John’s retirement, Fred Edmond, who currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer, will be promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer.
We are grateful for John’s dedicated leadership and significant contributions to our company’s success. We wish him good health and happiness in his retirement.
