At Central, our primary goal is to fulfill the promise to provide security, protection, and peace of mind to our customers. We have earned an industry-wide reputation for maintaining top-quality service among the best in the industry. We work hard to maintain that reputation and the key to our professional service is our people.
Our employees are dedicated professionals who follow our corporate values of Integrity, Relationships, and Excellence. They come from a variety of backgrounds and offer many skills and talents, but all share a common goal: a commitment to providing prompt, accurate, friendly, and professional service. This type of commitment must be backed by an internal structure which is streamlined and efficient enough to allow good service. We have the internal procedures in place to carry through on this commitment. Our service standards are among the toughest in the industry and provide a challenging goal to maintain. The following departments and their people allow us to meet our service goals:
Home Office
Our Home Office is located in Van Wert, Ohio, with a satellite office in Columbus, Ohio. These offices are responsible for building, maintaining, and servicing the products we sell.
Central has regional offices in Waltham, Massachusetts; Alpharetta, Georgia; and Van Wert, Ohio. Each regional office is led by a regional vice president who reports to our Chairman, CEO & President Evan Purmort.
Click any of the following departments to view a description and its reporting units.
Business Process Optimization
Business Process Optimization (BPO) improves how work gets done across the organization by reducing complexity, increasing efficiency, and driving continuous improvement. BPO partners with teams across the company to identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve quality, and create more consistent experiences for customers, agents, and employees.
BPO includes process improvement, Lean Six Sigma and continuous improvement programs, automation and AI enablement, operational analytics, staffing model development, and enterprise transformation initiatives. These capabilities help Central operate more effectively, make data-driven decisions, and deliver sustainable improvements that support the company's strategic objectives and long-term success.
Claims
Our Claims organization includes teams focused on four lines of business: Auto Damage, Property, Casualty, and Anti-Fraud & Recovery. Each team is responsible for investigating losses, evaluating coverage, and negotiating and settling claims promptly and equitably within its line of business. Dedicated Property and Casualty teams handle complex claims and develop and present claims training classes when needed.
In addition to handling traditional casualty claims, the Casualty line of business includes a Workers' Compensation team that handles workers' compensation, long-term no-fault, and medical claims, including medical cost containment and pre-certification of medical treatment.
The company's Subrogation team is within Anti-Fraud & Recovery and responsible for all subrogation recoveries for Central.
Client Connection
Client Connection empowers agencies to grow without adding overhead. As an extension of the agency’s team, our dedicated licensed account consultants and underwriting professionals provide personalized service, proactive sales support, and expert insurance guidance for accounts of all sizes. Client Connection combines responsive customer service, efficient workflows, and industry expertise to deliver a consistent client experience while helping agencies increase capacity, improve retention, and focus on strategic growth.
Personal Lines Services processes personal lines policy transactions, quotes and processes applications, works closely with our Underwriting team and stakeholders to meet policy needs, and services phone calls from agents and other customers.
Commercial Lines Services processes commercial lines policy transactions, quotes and processes applications, and works closely with our Underwriting team and other stakeholders to meet policy needs.
Customer Services assists customers by covering an adjusted work schedule into the evening, processes various personal lines and commercial lines policy transactions, and services a large volume of billing and payment phone calls from policyholders and agents.
Office Services distributes all mail for the organization, handles meeting planning, distributes all incoming and outgoing documents and office supplies, and is responsible for our in-house printing services.
Each regional office is supported by an Office Services staff that assists them in the daily operation of the regional office.
Within Central, the Finance area is responsible for the overall planning, analysis, and reporting results of the company as it executes its strategy.
The Finance area encompasses Corporate Actuarial, Accounting and Financial Analysis, and Risk and Capital Management.
Corporate Actuarial s responsible for evaluating and estimating Central's insurance liabilities through the analysis and oversight of loss and loss adjustment expense reserves. The team analyzes data and partners with leaders across the organization to support sound reserve decisions and accurate financial reporting. In addition, Corporate Actuarial provides forecasting and analytical support, assesses emerging trends and risks, and leads the company's economic capital modeling efforts to help ensure Central maintains a strong and resilient financial position.
Accounting and Financial Analysis is responsible for internal and external reporting and financial planning and analysis (FP&A). This includes responsibility and oversight of financial reporting, treasury, tax, investment, budget, planning, and forecasting functions. This area also coordinates and oversees financial and regulatory examinations and independent audits.
The Risk and Capital Management area is responsible for the negotiation and administration of reinsurance contracts, monitoring and controlling exposure to catastrophes, directing the efforts of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), analysis of underwriting and investment risk, and overall capital deployment strategy for the company.
Internal Audit provides independent, objective assurance and consulting services to the company. This includes examining and evaluating the company's governance, risk management, and internal control processes. Internal Audit has a dual reporting relationship to the Risk & Capital Management and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.
Growth
The Growth function provides a dedicated focus on identifying and pursuing attractive market opportunities beyond our core operations, including areas such as Excess & Surplus (E&S) lines. This role is responsible for developing and executing growth and expansion strategies that align with our Underwriting Excellence goals while maintaining disciplined, capital-efficient deployment of resources and creating new sources of value for the organization.
Human Resources is responsible for all human resource activities for the company. This includes employment-related activities such as recruiting, hiring, training, compensation, job classification and assignment, promotion, transfers, and employee relations. This department also includes our employee benefits areas which consist of medical, dental, vision, disability, flexible spending, Savings and Profit Participation, pension, life insurance, and voluntary life insurance plans.
Learning and Development reports to Central's Vice President of Human Resources & Facilties. They develop, implement, maintain, and monitor effective training and education programs to assist employees and agents in meeting or exceeding their responsibilities and encourage future development. Programs from The Institutes (IIA/CPCU) are available to employees.
Facilities is responsible for the maintenance of buildings and grounds, as well as the purchasing and servicing of office equipment and supplies.
Information Technology designs, develops, and maintains a wide variety of multi-functional computer systems which support company and agency operations as well as our insured customers. These include Internet, personal computer, mobile, and mainframe platforms. Employees, agents, and insured customers may contact the Information Technology Help Desk to receive assistance with their questions and problems.
Legal is responsible for the management of all corporate legal and regulatory issues and the provision of legal counsel that assists in developing and advancing the company's strategic business objectives. In addition to providing legal counsel, the department supports compliance, records management, contract oversight, and corporate governance activities across the enterprise.
Home Office Loss Control sets direction and policy for the loss control consultants who are located in each regional office. Our regional loss control personnel report through the director of loss control. They help reduce and control exposures and hazards that can lead to a loss by working with our policyholders on their risk control programs. In addition, they provide support to the Commercial Underwriting team by providing loss analysis profiles.
The Marketing department drives Central’s growth by creating compelling content, building brand loyalty, and fostering strong relationships with agents and employees. The team delivers engaging digital and print materials, coordinates memorable events that showcase Central's culture, and supports regional marketing efforts to help agents stay informed. The Marketing department ensures a consistent brand presence and provides the tools needed to promote Central effectively.
The Pricing organization is responsible for ensuring the rate adequacy of Central's insurance products and delivering the analytical insights needed to support decisions across the business. It consists of four primary functions: Actuarial Research and Data, Product Data Decision Science, Personal and Commercial Pricing, and Rate Implementation.
Actuarial Research and Data
The Actuarial Research and Data team transforms data into insights that support profitable growth, operational efficiency, and informed decision-making across the organization. The department combines actuarial research, business intelligence, and data analytics to develop predictive models, deliver reporting and dashboards, ensure data quality and governance, and satisfy regulatory reporting requirements. By partnering closely with business leaders, the team provides actionable insights, scalable data solutions, and analytical expertise that help Central achieve its strategic objectives.
Product Data Decision Science
The Product Data Decision Science team leads the advancement of Personal and Commercial Lines risk segmentation by delivering advanced predictive modeling solutions and data processing capabilities that support the needs of the Product and Underwriting organizations. The team serves as the Product organization's center of excellence for advanced analytics, partnering closely with Actuarial, Product, and Underwriting teams to deliver high-value solutions with measurable business outcomes that directly contribute to Central's financial success. We foster a mindset of "explain, not impress" to ensure solutions are accessible and understandable to business partners. Our goal is to develop data scientists who are also domain experts, capable of bridging business needs and technical solutions.
Personal and Commercial Lines Pricing
The Personal and Commercial Lines Pricing teams are responsible for analyzing insurance performance, developing pricing strategies, and monitoring profitability across Central's products. In partnership with Product Management, Underwriting, and other business areas, they evaluate market conditions, emerging trends, and performance metrics to support sustainable growth and profitability. Using data, predictive modeling, actuarial techniques, and statistical analysis, the teams develop rate indications, evaluate rating variables, measure product performance, and support pricing decisions. Ongoing monitoring of rate adequacy, segmentation effectiveness, and competitive positioning provides insights that help guide product, underwriting, and business strategies. Through collaboration across the organization, the teams help ensure pricing reflects evolving market conditions while balancing growth, profitability, and customer value.
Rate Implementation
The Rate Implementation team ensures that approved insurance product changes are accurately reflected within Central's rating systems and supporting platforms. The team works closely with Product, Pricing, Underwriting Operations, and Engineering to review requirements, analyze system impacts, validate implementations, and identify risks prior to deployment. Through testing, quality assurance, and process improvement efforts, the team helps ensure implementation accuracy, consistency, compliance, and speed-to-market while supporting the continued evolution and automation of Central's rate, rule, and form processes.
The Product team collaborates with many areas across the company to design, price, and continually enhance our insurance products and digital solutions and services. The Product area encompasses Insurance Product and Digital Product.
Insurance Product strategies that support profitable growth and deliver value to our policyholders. The team evaluates market trends, competitive dynamics, regulatory environments, and internal performance to inform product decisions and maintain our coverage portfolio. Insurance Product Managers partner closely with underwriting, actuarial, claims, and distribution teams, as well as vertical leaders, to identify opportunities and respond to evolving market needs. Rate and forms analysts provide critical support by composing, filing, and maintaining all rates, rules, and policy forms to ensure compliance and consistency across our products.
Digital Product designs, builds, and improves the digital experiences that serve our policyholders, agents, and employees. Working closely with business leaders and Engineering teams, Digital Product studies the needs of the people who use our products and then delivers technology solutions that drive satisfaction and loyalty. The Digital Product area encompasses Market Insights, Experience Design, and Digital Product Development.
Market Insights discovers and communicates insights into market conditions and the wants and needs of our policyholders, agents, and employees. Researchers work with teams across the company to develop research plans and conduct market and user research through a variety of methods, building the understanding that guides where Central invests and what it builds.
Experience Design shapes product and service experiences that are easy, enjoyable, and useful. Designers study the behaviors, motivations, and needs of our policyholders, agents, and employees, and translate what they learn into the experiences, workflows, and interfaces for our digital products.
Digital Product Development brings digital products to life in close partnership with our Engineering teams. Digital Product managers evaluate problems and opportunities, validate what will be valuable to the people we serve, and lead the team in delivering technically sound solutions.
Supplier Management is responsible for overseeing the strategic development, management, and optimization of Central's supplier relationships. The team plays a vital role in enhancing our supplier performance, quality, reliability, and identifying opportunities for cost savings.
Underwriting – Commercial Lines and Personal Lines
Underwriting is responsible for the performance of our book of business. With an unwavering commitment to underwriting excellence, Underwriting sets the company's risk selection standards. This includes establishing business rules within our quoting and underwriting systems and maintaining guidelines for our frontline underwriters. Our underwriters work closely with our agents to build and maintain strong working relationships. They research coverage questions, evaluate new business applicants, and manage an assigned book of business to achieve profitability. Talent development is accomplished through continuous training and education with an emphasis on analytics and data.
Underwriting works closely with Insurance Product to research and develop products and rates, focusing on attractive markets and maintaining a competitive position in those markets. They also work side by side with Claims to foster a healthy, continuous feedback loop to improve products, processes, and underwriting.
Premium Audit verifies commercial policyholders’ actual exposure and operational data to ensure insurance premiums are accurate and aligned with the risk that was actually insured.