Leadership

Stephan Cooper

President, Commercial Markets

Steve is president of AF Group’s Commercial Markets Division and has more than 30 years of property-casualty experience. Prior to his appointment to this role, he served as president of the Workers’ Compensation Division (Accident Fund, CompWest, United Heartland, Third Coast Underwriters) for AF Group, president of United Heartland and Third Coast Underwriters, and vice president of Claim Operations & TPA for Accident Fund. He’s also held senior leadership roles at Specialty Underwriters Alliance, General Electric Insurance Solutions, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and Travelers Insurance Company.

He is a former board member of St. Anne’s, LindenGrove, La Casa de Esperanza Foundation, Waukesha Business Alliance and Ele’s Place. Steve is very active in his local community.

Steve served in the United States Navy and holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Central Michigan University and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Rick Hobbs, CPCU, AIC, AIM

Senior Vice President of Claims

As senior vice president of Claims, Rick is responsible for creating, implementing and monitoring the strategic direction of the Claims department, while executing operational plans for continual improvement.

In 1986 Rick began his career in commercial casualty insurance with a focus on claims, underwriting and loss control. Prior to joining United Heartland in 2012, he held various leadership roles with Wausau Insurance and Liberty Mutual Insurance.

Rick earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in management from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He’s also earned the following professional insurance designations: Charter Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Claims (AIC) and Associate in Management (AIM).

Rick was born and raised in southeast Wisconsin and is a long-time fan of the Milwaukee Brewers, Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers.

Scott Babcock

Vice President of Customer Operations and Corporate Loss Control

Scott has more than 25 years of experience working with complex national accounts and specialty companies. He has a diverse insurance background, comprised of his roles as senior vice president of a regional specialty operation, senior loss control manager and risk manager. He has also served as a vice president account executive, where he directly managed multiple Fortune 500 insurance programs in multiple lines and for international accounts. His extensive background in customer experience and his knowledge of many industries enables him to serve customers with effective account management processes and loss mitigation consultations. Scott also provides enterprise oversight of Loss Control processes to ensure consistency across all brands and is responsible for enterprise adherence to individual state policy and procedures and for quality control and continuous process improvement.

Scott is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and has completed numerous continuing education courses in risk management and insurance.

Mike Valiante

Senior Vice President, Small Commercial Market

Mike has diversified experience in the agency side of the business and a strong background in multiline insurance. He is currently responsible for business development and underwriting for AF Group’s Small Commercial Market segment within their Commercial Markets division. Prior to this role, he led Accident Fund’s business development, underwriting and regional operations — a role he previously held at Third Coast Underwriters.

Mike’s experience working with small- to large-sized accounts, long history of building profitable, diverse books of business and ability to cultivate long-standing business relationships help him lead a team of highly skilled business development consultants who serve our agent partners in the small commercial market.

Greg Howard, CIC

Divisional Director, Business Development

Greg Howard has more than 35 years of experience in insurance and has been with Accident Fund since 2005. As divisional director, he oversees all aspects of business development management in nine states, which includes underwriting, marketing, agency management, team-building and territory expansion.

Prior to joining Accident Fund, Greg served the insurance industry in multiple roles within underwriting, marketing and management. His responsibilities included oversight of multi-state marketing, underwriting, hiring and training, new agency appointments, profitability assessments and rehabilitation plans.

Greg earned his Bachelor of Science in marketing from Central Michigan University and holds his Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation.

Mike Maurer

Divisional Director, Business Development

Mike Maurer is a divisional director of Business Development at Accident Fund Insurance Company of America. He currently leads marketing and underwriting efforts in four regions and 12 states. Mike joined the company in 2008 and began work in the insurance industry in 1988 as an underwriter in training at Citizens Insurance Company.

Mike received his Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Hope College in 1988. He has earned the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Authority on Workers’ Compensation (CAWC) designations. In 2014, Maurer was presented the AF Group Leader of the Year award.

Mike is committed to education in the insurance industry. He attends regular events to expand his own knowledge, has been a past instructor of insurance classes and played a key role in creating the Insurance Leadership Academy. He was inducted into the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame in 2017 — which is a high honor for insurance professionals and pays tribute to individuals who have made a significant impact on the industry through strong leadership and service to improve the industry’s ability to serve the public.

Troy Mounsey, CPCU, CIC, CAWC

Divisional Director, Business Development

As Divisional Director, Troy Mounsey oversees workers’ compensation production and agency partnerships for Michigan and large account operations. Prior to his 15-plus years with Accident Fund, Troy’s 30-year career in insurance began as a commercial multiline underwriter. He has also held management positions in the Midwest, handling marketing and premium development for Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri and Iowa.

Troy has been active in his support of Highfields, The American Red Cross, the Insurance & Risk Management board at Northwood University, and as a volunteer at Riverview Church.

Troy graduated from Taylor University with a Bachelor of Science degree in math/systems. He has also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Butler University and several designations, including: Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and the Certified Authority in Workers’ Compensation (CAWC).