W. Kim Austen
President and Chief Operating Officer, Allied Group, Nationwide
Kim Austen is President and Chief Operating Officer of Allied Group. He
was named to this role in March 2009, and is responsible for Nationwide
independent agency operations, including the Allied, Harleysville,
Scottsdale, Titan, and Nationwide Agribusiness business units.
Kim began his association with Allied in 1976 as a claims
representative. He held various management positions in underwriting,
becoming Regional Vice President of the Rocky Mountain Region in 1990. He
was subsequently elected Regional Vice President for the Lincoln Region
in 1992 and for the Des Moines Region in 1994. Kim assumed the post of
Senior Vice President for Product Development in 2001. He was appointed
Senior Vice President for Nationwide Commercial/Agribusiness Product
& Pricing in 2003 and was named President of Allied in 2006.
Kim serves as a board member of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC). He is a member of the Iowa Business Council and serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Central Iowa. He serves on the Leadership Cabinet of the American Red Cross, Central Iowa Chapter; and serves as an Advisory Board member of the Emmett J. Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance affiliated with the University of Iowa’s College of Business. He also serves as a member of the Chair’s Circle of the Greater Des Moines Partnership and as a Board member for the Science Center of Iowa.
A graduate of the University of Nebraska, he received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and economics, and holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation.
About Allied Insurance
Allied Insurance is a property-casualty insurer established in Des
Moines, Iowa, in 1929. Allied operates in 33 states through a network of
independent agents with regional offices based in Denver, Colorado; Des
Moines, Iowa; Gainesville, Florida; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Sacramento,
California. Allied has been a member of the Nationwide family of
companies since 1998, and is responsible for Nationwide’s independent
agency system.
About Nationwide
Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest
diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S.
and is rated A+ by A.M. Best. The company provides a full range of
personalized insurance and financial services, including auto insurance,
motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance,
administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions,
long-term savings plans and health and productivity services.
Nationwide, the Nationwide Framemark and On Your Side are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
