John J. Marchioni, who has served as the president and chief operating officer of Selective Insurance Group, Inc., since 2013, has been elected by the Selective board of directors as its next chief executive officer, effective February 1, 2020.
Selective said that Mr. Marchioni will succeed Gregory E. Murphy, who will retire as chief executive officer after serving in the position since 1999. Mr. Murphy, chair of the Selective board since 2000, will assume the newly created role of executive chair of the Selective board upon his retirement.
"On behalf of the board of directors, it is our privilege to announce the unanimous election of John Marchioni as the next chief executive officer of Selective," said Mr. Murphy. "In his more than 21 years at Selective, John has worked across all areas of our operations and has proven to be a thoughtful and strategic executive with a deep understanding of our industry and how to profitably grow our business. I, along with the board, have worked closely with John and have been impressed by his performance as president and chief operating officer for the last six years. His unanimous election as CEO demonstrates the confidence we have in his abilities, judgment, and vision to continue to innovate and lead us into the future."
Mr. Murphy continued, "It has been my honor to serve as Selective's CEO for the past 20 years, and to have worked alongside a remarkable team that continues to keep the company on an exciting growth trajectory. The board has spent considerable time over the past several years preparing for a thoughtful succession process, and I firmly believe that now is the right time to initiate this leadership transition. With our continued outperformance, we are confident that with John as CEO the Selective team will rise to meet the innovation demands of our times and champion outstanding customer experiences, which are keys to our growth and future success."
Mr. Marchioni said, "I want to thank the board of directors for placing their trust in me to lead this organization, and I also want to thank Greg for all that he has done for Selective and in preparing me, especially these past few years, for this new role. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Greg in the coming months and in his capacity as executive chair as we work to build on Selective's strong financial and strategic position for the long-term.
"In his 20 years as CEO, Greg Murphy has created substantial value for our shareholders, developed Selective into the premier independent agency carrier, and instilled an unsurpassed corporate commitment to providing our insureds with exceptional customer experiences," said J. Brian Thebault, Selective's lead independent director. "We are confident that, having worked side by side with John for many years, Greg's accomplishments in making Selective what it is today will endure under John's leadership as we enter the next phase of growth and success."
Mr. Marchioni joined Selective in 1998 as a government affairs specialist, was promoted to assistant vice president of government affairs in 2000, and was named vice president of government affairs in 2003.
He was appointed vice president and strategic business unit leader in 2004 and senior vice president, director of personal lines and flood, in 2005. In 2007, he was promoted to executive vice president, chief field operations leader, and, in 2008, executive vice president, insurance operations.
He is a graduate of Princeton University and the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
Learn more: www.selective.com.
Victoria Spears
Victoria Prussen Spears is senior vice president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn Law School, Ms. Spears was an attorney at a leading New York City law firm before joining Meyerowitz Communications. She may be contacted at [email protected].