Mhayse Samalya

President of Farmers Commercial Business Insurance, Farmers Insurance Group

Today’s insurance industry is undergoing a series of transformations. As Mhayse Samalya, the President of Farmers Commercial Business Insurance will share in his keynote address, a key ingredient for developing the kind of agility the industry needs includes putting the power to change more directly in the hands of the people who know the most about the business to engage directly in guiding their transformations. Having the right approach and tools to empower the business is critical for insurance companies to be able to respond to changing agent and customer needs and compete to win.

Mr. Samalya began his career with Aetna in 1978 immediately after graduating from Long Island University. He began as an underwriter and then held a number of senior management positions including serving as Regional Vice President after the Travelers/Aetna merger, and was President of a rapidly growing Citigroup/Travelers cross-selling property casualty initiative. Mr. Samalya was President of the Hanover Insurance Company in Worchester, Massachusetts, from 2001 to 2005, before joining Farmers in 2005 as Senior Vice President, Farmers Group, Inc., and President, Farmers Business Insurance. Mr. Samalya's current role is Executive Vice-President and President of Farmers Business Insurance with operational responsibility for all of Farmers Commercial Lines business. He has a bachelor's degree from Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus, in Brookville, N.Y. and is a graduate of the Advanced Executive Education program of the Wharton Business School. He also serves on the board of directors for Farmers Group Inc.