A Conversation with Chad Wallaesa, Assistant Vice President of Loss Control
Earlier this year, Donegal announced the hiring of Chad Wallaesa as Assistant Vice President of Loss Control.
Wallaesa took the helm of our Loss Control team in July, and is already playing a key role in loss control strategy and operational efficiency, with a focus on risk engineering and exposure management in collaboration with Donegal’s underwriting leaders.
We caught up with him this fall for his take on the future of Donegal’s Loss Control arm, and how now more than ever, agents can tap into our team’s expertise as an added resource.
On the evolution of Donegal’s Loss Control team…
“Currently, our Loss Control team is 18 strong! Among our team members, we have 10 Loss Control Representatives in the field, spread throughout our geographic footprint; and internally, a team of 3 Loss Control Consultants and two technical assistants who help develop and execute on our risk reduction strategy by supporting our stakeholders and customers on a daily basis. We continue to evaluate our needs and how we can best grow our internal capabilities and support in the areas that make the most sense.”
On our focus for the New Year…
“Moving forward, we’re focused on increasing the level of consulting services that Donegal’s Loss Control Team provides. And what I mean by that is, we’re going to be building upon and being more consultative as an organization than we were in the past, both with agents and our agents’ clients. The way we’re looking at doing that is two-fold: By having field consultants across the country in different regions; and also building out our internal consulting center and capabilities, so we can deliver on service, answer questions that arise, and be there for our agents and policyholders- both virtually and in-person. From an agents’ perspective, that means we’ll be there to provide support on what accounts and larger risks need it most.”
On how Donegal’s Loss Control operation can be a resource to you…
“Our services are geared toward risk reduction. We help clients identify the key risks of a business from a loss perspective, and work with them to prioritize and address any identified issues to eliminate the potential for future losses. After they understand the key exposures and threats, our loss control consultants will help them develop solutions. We consult on both property and casualty risk, including workers’ comp-related risks, ergonomic, materials handling and more. Do they understand who is driving their vehicles? Do they have a sufficient process in place? We help our policyholders/clients truly understand how to manage their programs, fleet, workers’ comp, etc. Our policyholders have built great businesses and we want to be there to help protect them.”
On what’s in the pipeline…
“We love to consult on-site when possible. But, where we can’t, we’re looking to become more engaged virtually. Currently, we provide account-specific support and agent assistance. Moving forward in 2024 and beyond, we also plan to provide quarterly educational webinars designed for agents on emerging hot topics, like national catastrophe exposures. Our team will facilitate these discussions and possibly provide CE credits. You can expect to hear more about these and other learning opportunities over the coming year!”
On how we’re approaching AI and changing technology…
“We understand that how we do business today may be different in 12 months. You can’t ignore technology. But, we want to help our agents and insureds not be distracted by it. That’s why we’re taking a careful and measured approach as we actively look into integrating further technology where it makes sense to help our insureds. This can help drive and focus our efforts to where the highest risk is for our agents and insureds.”
On one very important final note…
“This December marks one year since the major holiday freeze of 2022 that caused millions of dollars in losses for business owners across a large swath of the country. Protecting businesses from winter damage is a sound loss control principle to help mitigate untimely loss. As a reminder, here are some tips to preventing frozen pipes this winter! I’d encourage you to share these with your insured- and utilize them yourself.”
More about Chad:
A proven leader with a background in Loss Control, Vendor Management, and Talent Development, Wallaesa earned his Bachelor’s in Industry Health and Safety from Penn State. Prior to joining the Donegal team, he spent better part of two decades at Liberty Mutual, holding various roles across the country, including leading the delivery of risk control service to improve underwriting results through customized service strategies and underwriting risk assessments. Most recently, he was charged with overseeing the technical development and strategies for different target industries and specialty areas. Prior to insurance, Chad held Environmental Health & Safety roles in both the manufacturing and construction industries. With a passion for coaching, mentoring and continuous growth, he has been featured as a guest speaker and panelist at various conferences.