5 Questions with New Pinnacol Assurance President and CEO John O'Donnell

Denver, CO (WorkersCompensation.com) – Starting a new job is always a time of uncertainty, but coming into a healthy culture can make the transition smoother.

For new Pinnacol Assurance President and CEO John O’Donnell, a strong corporate culture and a team with purpose has been instrumental in making for a smooth transition. WorkersCompensation.com recently caught up with John, who answered a few questions about the Colorado-based Pinnacol and where it’s going.

1. What do you see as Pinnacol's biggest strength right now?

I think Pinnacol has a lot going for it. It’s one of the best carriers in the country. Strong financial position. Great claims service. Employees are very engaged here. But if you went down to the core, I think the team is very purpose-driven in protecting injured workers. I think that purpose-driven culture is very important. And for me, the company already has a lot of good things in place to make sure we onboard people the right way and we make sure people understand what our mission is. I think that, for me, I’m going to dive in and learn the business and get feedback from all of our employees and stakeholders to see where our opportunities lie because it’s important to challenge ourselves and get better for our customers.

2. In your ideal world, what directions would you see Pinnacol going in the short- and long-term futures?

In the short term, it’s a healthy company, and we will build in that direction, but I have been meeting with my team and looking for opportunities. In the long term, that’s where we have even greater opportunity. Our customers need coverage outside of the state or in additional lines of business, and we’re going to look for ways to better serve our customers. As we look at our customer base, if you follow the customer and address their needs and respond to their needs, you tend to be successful and have a thriving business.

3. What's the biggest challenge in your job right now?

For me, the biggest challenge is to have a successful transition. I’m replacing a CEO who was very successful in the role and was here for eight years. It’s a great chance for me to engage and listen and learn, and I’ll do that by spending time with my team, the board of directors, our employees, agents, and our other stakeholders.

Because of the support I’m getting from the board of directors and my team, I’m getting up to speed faster than I thought I would, and it’s because everyone has been so forthcoming with their knowledge and expertise.

4. The "new normal" has, perhaps, been an overused phrase over the last couple of years, but what do you see as far as how things have changed in the workers' compensation industry recently that may be with us for a while?

Right now what we are seeing is a number of dispersed workforces, including our own, but it’s going to require insurers to be more flexible and to have systems in place that will serve customers who are remote. I think we also have to support employers in mitigating risk. We want to help them have a safe environment and help them prevent accidents from happening. A number of companies are understaffed, so people are taking on new and increased work. There’s also new emerging behavioral and health issues that have been exacerbated because of the pandemic. We very much focus on safety and helping policy holders prevent issues from occurring. So, we're trying to better understand how the risk is changing.

5. When people think of Pinnacol, what do you hope they will think?

At the end of the day, I think what truly differentiates us in the industry, and this is what I would like everyone to say, is “Pinnacol truly cares about me. They see me as a person that is going through a life-altering experience and they are there for me and they are trying to help me to the best of their abilities.” I think If we can maintain that guiding light, we will continue to be a thriving organization.

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