As part of National Life’s celebration of its history, Mehran led a discussion with four executive leaders who looked to the future of the 170-year-old company, saying the key to continued success is focusing on consumers.
“Customers will no longer buy whatever we happen to offer,” said Achim Schwetlick, head of the Business Innovation Group. “We will be designing and selling whatever it is that consumers want and desire.
“Much more than ever before we will be competing on convenience and customer service and less so on price and product features.”
Vesta Bovair, the head of the Customer Innovation Group, said, “People can copy our products but no one can compete with our service. It really is what differentiates us.”
“Our service is our people and our people is all 1,100 of you,” she said. “If you don’t talk directly to a customer every day you are still helping us build an incredible customer experience. When people walk through our doors they feel a warm embrace – and that is all of us.”
Nimesh Mehta, Chief Information Officer, echoed the theme. “In the next 10 years technology is about making us more human. It’s really about gaining that deeper relationship with our customer.”
Chief Operating Officer Bob Cotton predicted that “10 years out our strategy is going to evolve; it’s going to change.”
“I believe in 10 years we are going to be a very strong, prominent, one of the premier, elite life insurance companies in this industry.”
The discussion came at an all-employee meeting Tuesday that focused on the anniversary of National Life.