New president named for United Heartland Insurance
Steve Cooper has been named the president of New Berlin-based United Heartland Insurance, a national workers compensation insurer, by parent company Accident Fund Holdings Inc.
Cooper succeeds Emil Pfenninger, who has led United Heartland since its founding in 1990. Cooper has 21 years of property-casualty experience. Prior to joining United Heartland, he served as vice president of claim operations at Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, another Accident Fund Holdings subsidiary. Prior to joining Accident Fund, he served in various service center and claims leadership positions at Specialty Underwriters Alliance, General Electric Insurance Solutions, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and Travelers Insurance Company.
“Steve Cooper is uniquely suited to build on the past success of United Heartland and the team,” said Elizabeth R. Haar, president and CEO of Accident Fund Holdings. “Under Steve’s direction, United Heartland will continue to flourish as a national player in workers compensation insurance, partnering with agents to deliver exceptional value to our policyholders. I would like to thank and recognize Emil Pfenninger for his leadership of United Heartland over the last 20 years. Emil is a special leader who built United Heartland into the growing, successful company that it is today.”
United Heartland now has more than 260 employees, and writes more than $200 million in premium annually.
In December, the company moved into a newly built headquarters in New Berlin.
Pfenninger will remain with United Heartland in the coming months to help in the transition of his responsibilities to Cooper and work on special projects with Accident Fund Holdings until his retirement in 2011.
