Bill Westrate

Bill Westrate was named CEO-Elect in August 2020 and took over the role in January 2022. Bill has oversight and is actively engaged in the strategy and operations of the American Family Insurance group and its individual operating companies. He is closely involved in the organization’s business development and innovation efforts, and he has a passion for community/social impact and progressing the company’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Bill started with American Family in 1996 as an actuarial analyst and later became the division’s actuarial manager, homeowners lines director and risk pricing director. In 2006, he was elected vice president of the Actuarial Division, and two years later he was named vice president of Personal Lines.

Bill became an executive vice president in July 2011, when he began oversight of the product line divisions: Commercial-Farm/Ranch, Life and Personal Lines. He continued in that role until assuming the role of American Family chief operating officer in January 2014. In 2017, American Family promoted Bill to enterprise president, assuming that role from Chair and CEO Jack Salzwedel.

Bill earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern College in mathematics. He is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He serves on the board of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and is the vice chair of the United Way’s board of directors and a member of its executive committee.