Manager Project
Resume:
RONNA F. RUPPELT
Alpharetta, Georgia 30005
Home 770-***-**** Cell 770-***-**** Office 404-***-****
E-mail: ********@***.***
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CAREER SUMMARY
Senior legal executive with 25 years of insurance carrier and law firm
experience. Strong background as a strategic and process-oriented leader
who has a focused business perspective. Known to be highly motivated and a
team player with outstanding initiative and results. Skills highly
transferable to any industry. Demonstrated accomplishments in:
. Bad Faith, Insurance Coverage
. Insurance Regulatory
. Contract Drafting and Negotiation
. Class Action Litigation
. Litigation Management
. Trial and Appellate Court Litigation Nationwide
. Employment, EEOC, FMLA, ADA, FLSA
. Catastrophic Injuries
. Sarbanes-Oxley Regulatory
. People Management and Development
. Project and Process Management
. Training Development
EMPLOYMENT
Farmers Insurance Group - Atlanta, Georgia [January 2005 - Present]
21st Century Insurance was purchased by Farmers Insurance, effective July
1, 2009, making it one of the largest property & casualty carriers in the
United States. Current position is due to inability to transfer to
suburban Los Angeles, where officer positions are located.
Commercial Casualty Claims Consultant (December 2009 - Present)
. Claims executive, responsible for commercial auto claims handling
nationwide. Provide counsel, guidance and authority on highest
exposure claims; identify handling trends and issues; development and
implementation of training.
. Provide counsel, guidance and authority on the highest exposure
commercial general liability claims.
. Charged with refinement of the business' litigation management
program.
21st Century Insurance and Financial Services, a division of American
International Group, Inc. (AIG) - Atlanta, Georgia
Vice President, Claims (May 2006 - December 2009)
21st Century Insurance and Financial Services sells personal lines motor
vehicle insurance products in the United States, with over $4 billion in
written premiums.
. Claims officer, responsible for Legal and Compliance, reporting to the
Chief Claims Officer.
. Expansion of prior Claims Legal Department included the addition of
Claims Compliance and Large Loss Departments. Assistant Vice
Presidents and Director were direct reports. Direct and indirect
reports totaled approximately 50 employees.
. Initially, matrix manager of nationwide personal lines staff counsel
organization consisting of over 170 employees. Evolved into being the
direct manager.
. Performed generalist legal functions, including contract review and
negotiation.
. Managed legal indemnity payments of $250 million, legal expense budget
of $77 million and departmental budget of $26 million.
Significant Accomplishments:
. In mid-2008, spearheaded renewal of panel counsel firms without any
increases in hourly rates, which will be in effect for the next two
years. Legal expense savings will be over $1 million. This approach
was eventually adopted by AIG companywide.
. After achieving a 15% reduction in the legal cost per closing in 2006,
that amount remains within 2% of our 2006 result and continues to be
below what it was when I began at AIG in January of 2005.
. The benefit to the organization has been dramatic as litigation
inventory increased 40.4% since January of 2005 due to the growth of
the organization.
. During the same time, the loss payment cost for matters in litigation
remained relatively flat, within $2,000 of 2005's severity.
. Developed and implemented an internal regulatory compliance audit
program.
. Facilitated claims legal and compliance integration after September
2007 acquisition of 21st Century Insurance Company.
. Large Loss Unit, which handles the highest exposure claims,
consistently achieved "exceeds" or "high meets" quality audits scores.
. Business project leader for the operational and technical preparation
and rollout to comply with Medicare mandatory reporting requirements.
. Undertook an analysis and provided recommendations, which were adopted
by Corporate Compensation, for FLSA classifications of several field
claims positions. Several months later, achieved a voluntary
dismissal with prejudice without any payments made of a purported
nationwide class action (filed after completion of adoption of the
above recommendations) after this analysis was provided to plaintiffs'
attorneys.
Director, Litigation Management (January 2005 - May 2006)
. In a new position for the company, created a Claims Legal Department,
developing initial and ongoing strategic goals and objectives.
. Developed a litigation management program which resulted in a
significant reduction of legal expenses and vast improvement in the
quality of litigation handling by the field claims organization.
. Restructured the relationship with AIG Corporate for extracontractual
claims handling so that we were now involved in setting strategy and
resolution decision-making on bad faith claims. Drafted file handling
guidelines that established the roles for Corporate and Personal Lines
as well as financial protocols.
. Hired the first claims attorneys for the company. They handled all
aspects of bad faith and complex coverage matters and provided general
legal support and counsel for the company.
. Restructured the relationship with AIG Corporate Staff Counsel which
resulted in the placement of a Personal Lines national practice leader
who had a dotted line to me and the implementation of quality and
service standards consistent with Claims' objectives, which resulted
in significantly approved performance and results.
. Instituted performance standards and established clearly defined goals
and objectives for all litigation handling by claims organization.
. Overhauled approved outside panel counsel list and successfully
instituted counsel guidelines.
. Designed and facilitated the development of litigation-related
enhancements to the claims system to allow for the capture of more
granular types of litigation data.
. Designed a variety of litigation management reports to allow the
identification of litigation trends, issues and areas of concerns for
the business prompting refinement of best practices.
. Managed the development of litigation-related training programs for
the claims organization.
. Responsible for departmental budgeting and planning.
Significant Accomplishments:
. Eliminated the outsourcing of insurance coverage analysis to outside
panel counsel, incurring vast savings for the organization.
. Without sacrificing loss payment amounts, achieved a 17% reduction in
total legal expenses in 2005, while the organization incurred double
digit growth.
. In 2006, achieved a 15% reduction in the cost per closing of matters
in litigation.
. For the same time period, achieved an 86.9% improvement in quality
audit scores on litigated matters. That improvement increases
annually.
The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies - Cleveland, Ohio [December
1987 - January 2005]
Assistant General Counsel, House (Staff) Counsel Process Leader (January
2000 - January 2005)
Progressive is one of the top U.S. providers of auto insurance, with over
$11 billion in written premiums. The House (Staff) Counsel organization,
with an annual budget of $34 million, provides representation to
Progressive insureds and Progressive in lawsuits arising out of motor
vehicle accidents.
. Served as a member of the House Counsel executive management team.
. Developed, implemented and managed an office quality review process
for the House (Staff) Counsel organization which resulted in a
reduction of organizational risk and increased performance management.
Drafted and implemented Standard Operating Procedures. Coached and
mentored Managing Attorneys on ways to streamline workflow processes,
resulting in increased efficiency and reduced costs.
. Business project manager for case and matter management software
solution.
. Managed, developed and implemented all training initiatives.
Other Progressive Positions Held:
Claims Attorney - Corporate Claims Legal Department (July 1996 - December
1999): Companywide reorganization prompted the creation of a centralized
department responsible for handling of the highest exposure claims and
lawsuits, including bad faith. In addition to full time role, on a part-
time basis over several years, worked on all aspects of employment claims
and litigation. Participated in judicial (federal and state) and
administrative (EEOC and other) trials, hearings and ADR; drafted
position statements and provided counsel to Human Resources Managers.
Also conducted substantive file evaluations for House Counsel offices
nationwide.
Litigation Manager - Central Division (January 1990 - July 1996):
Reporting to the Division Claims Manager, accountable for all contractual
and extracontractual litigation handling in a 10-state division. Managed
staff counsel offices, claims attorney and subrogation departments and
assured regulatory compliance. Worked with state Departments of
Insurance on regulatory matters.
Claims Attorney - Central Division (December 1987 - January 1990)
Reminger & Reminger Co., L.P.A. - Cleveland, Ohio [May 1983 - December
1987]
Associate Attorney (November 1985 - December 1987): Handled all stages
of litigation, including first chair jury trials. Concentration: truck,
transportation and cargo law; toxic tort and environmental law; general
liability; insurance coverage and errors and omissions. Appellate court
experience included arguing before the Ohio Supreme Court and Courts of
Appeal.
Claims Adjuster/Law Clerk (May 1983 - November 1985): Adjusted
transportation claims from on-the-scene investigation through resolution.
Legal research and preparation of memoranda, motions and briefs.
EDUCATION
Admitted to Ohio and Northern District of Ohio Federal Bars - November 1985
Admitted to Georgia Bar - November 2008
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Juris Doctor Degree - June 1985; Honors:
Dean's List
. Activities: Moot Court Board of Governors 1984-1985; Obtained first
place brief in interscholastic competition
Kent State University; Bachelor of Science - May 1982; Honors: Dean's List
PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS
. Faculty Member - Association of Corporate Counsel Annual Meeting,
October 2003, "Managing Litigation in the Future," presenting on ways
to measure in-house counsel's productivity and quality. Panel member
presenting on, "Quality Review of Firms," which discussed the methods
and criteria that corporations use to evaluate outside counsel
performance, including metrics, processes and technology.
. Faculty Member - Association of Corporate Counsel Annual Meeting,
October 2002, "Managing Litigation in the Future."
. Fellow, Council on Litigation Management.
. Member of various bar associations, Association of Corporate Counsel
and Defense Research Institute.
. Appointed member of the Insurance Staff Counsel Standing Committee of
the Ohio State Bar Association.
. Former Arbitrator and Mediator, American Arbitration Association and
Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
. Have held a variety of strategic planning and funding leadership
positions on city school district committees, including 2005 co-
chairman of levy campaign, which passed levy by the largest percentage
in city's history.
. Former Trustee of city arts organization.
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