Skip to Content
GO
GO
(800) 437-7355
(800) 437-7355
X
About Us / Annual Report

2020 Annual Report

 

Message from the President & Chairperson

2020 was a year unlike any in our lifetime as the world faced the challenges and uncertainties of a global pandemic. The year will undoubtedly be remembered in Illinois Mutual’s history as affirming our solid financial position and commitment to serving our policyowners and agents without interruption.

Through our team’s ability to adapt and persevere, they safely continued business operations working predominantly from home. We acted quickly to support and assist policyowners in need, and we took action to help our agents stay connected to their clients during this disruptive yet critical time. New tools and resources were created to help them continue to offer meaningful solutions in a dramatically different business environment. Most importantly, we continued to be there for our policyowners because of our undeniably strong financial foundation, just as we have for the last 110 years.

I am beyond proud of Illinois Mutual and the people who work hard every day to deliver on our mission and create success. I am grateful for the agents who adapted and persevered along with us. And I am most grateful to our policyowners who show their love for those most important to them by purchasing insurance from Illinois Mutual.

As we move forward, we will continue prioritizing our financial strength and adapting our business to keep growing and thriving because of the trust our policyowners have placed in us. Illinois Mutual was built on a foundation designed to adapt and deliver on promises to policyowners despite uncertainties. This was demonstrated in 2020, and will be the reason we succeed in the years to come.

Katie M. Jenkins

Katie M. Jenkins
President & Chairperson

 

Our Values

In 2020, we reaffirmed our belief that people are what matter most by reaffirming our Core Values. They represent our beliefs that drive our everyday interactions with policyowners, agents and each other. We invested in all-new employee training and updated our employee recognition program to strengthen our knowledge of our core values and, most important, to strengthen the relationships with the people we serve.

Learn More About Illinois Mutual's History
 

Our Policyowners: Inspiring Progress

One of Illinois Mutual’s highest priorities for 2020 was doing our part to ensure our policyowners were protected and supported through the year’s hardships. By working with customers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and remaining consistent and transparent in our communication, we aimed to prove to our policyowners that who they are, what they’re going through and what they need is always top of mind—just as it has always been.

The relationship we have with each policyowner goes beyond transactional services. Our Claims Examiners, Policy Service Representatives and Underwriters, along with the rest of the Illinois Mutual team, strive to provide and nurture a personal experience—one that shows policyowners are more than numbers to us. Each story and testimonial we receive from our policyowners reminds us why what we do matters so much, and compels us to continue doing the best work we can every day.

 
portrait photo of policyowner Gary

Gary | Onalaska, WI

Hear Gary's Story
portrait photo of policyowner Sandra

Sandra | Broussard, LA

Hear Sandra's Story
portrait photo of policyowner Michelle

Michelle | McAlester, OK

Hear Michelle's Story
portrait photo of policyowner Bob

Bob | Chicago, IL

Hear Bob's Story
portrait photo of policyowner Steve

Steve | Mauston, WI

Hear Steve's Story
opening quotation mark

My wife and I are both very pleased with the professionalism of Wes... and the honest and fair manner in which our claims have been handled. I see now firsthand how important DI protection is for families.

closing quotation mark

Robert | Orlando, FL

Hear Robert's Story
 
portrait photo of Illinois Mutual agent Anthony
 

Our Agents: Aligning to Serve Together

The relationship between Illinois Mutual and the independent agents who offer our products was an essential component to remaining successful throughout 2020. The pandemic put a spotlight on the ways our agents communicate with current and prospective policyowners, and what we could do to support those agents in that endeavor. That’s why our team created numerous tools and resources for our agents, such as a Digital Toolkit for improving virtual communications and marketing, and technological upgrades to make serving our policyowners faster and easier.

We cannot offer quality service to our policyowners without the talented agents that bring Illinois Mutual to the table as a top insurance provider. 2020 has made clear that both the Company and our agents want the same thing most of all: to serve our policyowners with compassion and competence. This year highlighted how powerful it is when we work together to overcome challenges and come out stronger supporting the policyowners that depend on us.

 

Our Community: Lifting Up Those in Need

Illinois Mutual has always been honored to fulfill our duty to give back to our community, and 2020 only reinforced that commitment. We continue to provide support through financial contributions and volunteerism, doing our part to help others both in our hometown community of Peoria, Illinois, and across the country.

Learn More About Our Community Support
Illinois Mutual employees volunteering for United Way causes
Illinois Mutual holds a United Way donation and volunteering campaign for one week every September.
Illinois Mutual employee during COVID volunteer effort
Illinois Mutual employees delivered supplies to area organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Illinois Mutual employees volunteering as Salvation Army bell ringers
Our employees raised over $1000 bell ringing for the Salvation Army in 2020.
Illinois Mutual employees loading food donations into a truck
Illinois Mutual donated more than 2,000 meals to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Illinois Mutual employees loading donations into vehicle
Our Company has a rich history of community service and will continue giving back for years to come.
 
photo of Illinois Mutual employee Russell
 

Our Employees: Resilience Through Adversity

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, familiar routines and processes were adapted to ensure our employees stay safe while our policyowners and agents continued receiving the quality service they deserve. Quick action to transition most of the team to work remote and to ensure a safe work environment for those who remained in the office ensured our team did not miss a beat. Our employees continued their exceptional work despite the disruption to their daily lives, all while embracing the need to adapt and persevere in a world forever changed by the pandemic.

The resilience and hard work of our team shined in 2020, a year that brought us closer together and that demonstrated every challenge we face only makes us stronger.

 

2020 Financial Report

While 2020 was a challenging year, our financial foundation remained strong, allowing us to continue upholding our longstanding commitment to our policyowners.

Download Our Financials

Board Members

Katie M. Jenkins

William Fulton

Thomas P. Jenkins

Melissa Metternich

Judith K. McCord

Deborah Simon

Officers

Katie M. Jenkins
President & Chairperson

Erin K. Callahan
Vice President

Christopher A. Connor
Vice President

Louis S. Kanowsky
Treasurer, Vice President & Controller

John F. Kirtley II
Vice President & General Counsel

Elizabeth A. Martin
Vice President

Richard J. Tarkowski
Vice President

Mark R. Wutt
Vice President

Jeffrey D. Brownell
Assistant Vice President

Kevin R. Christensen
Assistant Vice President

Eliot E. Forrest
Assistant Vice President

Mary L. Gensel
Assistant Vice President

Ellen J. Gorman
Assistant Vice President

John A. LaFollette
Assistant Vice President

Christopher M. Ott
Assistant Vice President

Lynn M. Rathbun
Assistant Vice President

David Y. Ratnaraj
Assistant Vice President

Heather J. Russo
Assistant Vice President

Jennifer E. Schulze
Assistant Vice President

Michael A. Smith
Assistant Vice President

Paul J. Toman
Assistant Vice President

David D. White
Assistant Vice President

Emily H. Wilburn
Assistant Vice President