Jeff Benintendi

About Jeff Benintendi

I’m a commercial P&C executive with full P&L accountability who builds profitable underwriting platforms, turns around underperforming books, and protects surplus by reducing volatility. My background spans claims, finance, underwriting, and operations, with broad P&L leadership for more than two decades. As EVP & COO, Commercial Lines at Encova (mutual holding company), I lead a ~$1.1B commercial lines operation across a multi-state footprint with a focus on disciplined underwriting, distribution partnership, and operating model execution. In 2021, when Encova formed its mutual holding company structure, I was appointed to the boards of multiple subsidiaries (including BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Company, Pinnacle Point, Summit Point, and Allegheny Point), providing governance oversight across the group. Track record highlights include generating over $250M of underwriting profit over six years in workers’ compensation while growing premium by ~$130M, and previously leading BrickStreet’s transition from a state-run workers’ compensation operation to a super-regional mutual with sustained underwriting performance and stronger capital position. Board experience also includes Chair and Vice Chair roles with the National Workers Compensation Reinsurance Association, focused on residual market pooling mechanisms and quota share reinsurance oversight.

Experience

1. Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Lines

   Encova Insurance

   Jul 2023 — Present · Columbus, OH, US

   Scope: Lead Commercial Lines P&L (~$1.1B) and have enterprise accountability across Commercial + Personal Lines (~$1.4B total operations) for Claims, Agency Management & Distribution, and Customer Service Center.• Full P&L leadership for Commercial Lines (~$1.1B) across a multi-state footprint; drive profitable growth and portfolio discipline.• Enterprise accountability for Claims spanning Commercial and Personal Lines. Drove enterprise claim performance and reduced average paid severity by shifting focus to outcomes-based management and aligning incentives to results. • Enterprise accountability for Agency Management & Distribution across the company. Expanding and improving agency distribution through deeper engagement, strengthening partner value proposition, and improving ease-of-doing-business.• Driving CoPilot adoption and prioritizing AI use cases to improve productivity and reduce cost-to-serve; establishing governance to translate AI investment into measurable expense-ratio impact. • Assumed leadership of a ~$500M package operation (Jul 2023); redesigned into segment/region profit centers, upgraded leadership, and improved combined ratio from ~119 to ~106 with a clear path to underwriting profitability, driving the Commercial Lines performance.• Strengthened volatility management and surplus protection through pragmatic risk appetite and reinsurance posture.

Education

• Colorado State University

  Bachelor, Finance

  1985 — 1989

Skills

• Financial Risk
• Reinsurance
• Insurance
• Property & Casualty Insurance
• Commercial Insurance
• Underwriting
• Risk Management
• Workers Compensation
• Claim
• Claims Management
• Litigation
• Legal Liability
• Umbrella Insurance