President/CEO

President/CEO

Southern Mutual Church Insurance Company

Location: Columbia, South Carolina

Position Type: Full-Time | Executive Leadership

About Southern Mutual Church Insurance Company

Southern Mutual Church Insurance Company has been serving churches and faith-based organizations for more than a century. Built on a foundation of integrity, financial strength, and service, we are dedicated to providing specialized insurance solutions helping ministries protect their people, property, and mission.

Our commitment to exceptional customer care and long-term relationships has made Southern Mutual a trusted partner insuring approximately 10,000 churches of all denominations across seven states.

Job Summary: The President & CEO serves as the chief executive leader of the organization, responsible for setting strategic direction, driving financial performance, ensuring operational excellence and enriching the corporate culture. This role leads a specialized commercial insurance company focused on serving religious institutions and faith-based organizations, ensuring mission alignment while achieving sustainable growth and profitability. As the chief executive, you will steward the organization in fulfilling its calling to protect and serve religious institutions.

Duties/Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Define and execute the company’s long-term vision, growth strategy, and market positioning.
• Lead with a servant’s heart, ensuring the organization remains a beacon of trust and integrity within the faith-based community.
• Identify opportunities to expand within the religious and nonprofit insurance sector.
• Ensure alignment between mission-driven service and financial performance.

Financial and Operational Oversight

• Drive surplus growth, underwriting discipline and revenue growth.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and capital management.
• Invest in corporate dollars effectively within established Investment Policy Statement.
• Establish and oversee appropriate reinsurance programs.
• Ensure operational efficiency across underwriting, claims, risk management, and customer service.

Underwriting and Risk Management

• Maintain strong underwriting standards tailored to religious institutions.
• Oversee risk selection, pricing strategy, and reinsurance relationships.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements and industry best practices.

Leadership and Culture

• Lead by example, demonstrating humility, servant leadership and a commitment to the values that underpin our work.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing executive team.
• Foster a culture of integrity, service, accountability, and mission alignment.
• Promote employee engagement and leadership development across the organization.

Board Relations and Governance

• Serve as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors.
• Provide executive leadership to the Board of Directors.
• Identify and recruit new Board of Directors members.
• Provide regular updates on performance, strategy, and risk.
• Support governance best practices and organizational transparency

Market and Relationship Management

• Strengthen relationships with agents, brokers, reinsurers, and key partners.
• Serve as a visible leader and ambassador within the insurance and religious communities.
• Enhance brand reputation and customer loyalty.

Regulatory and Compliance Oversight

• Ensure adherence to all state and federal insurance regulations.
• Maintain strong relationships with regulators and industry associations.
• Maintain a reputation for honesty, accountability and integrity in all dealings

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA, CPCU, or advanced insurance/finance designation preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in the insurance industry.
• Proven executive leadership experience (CEO, President, Senior Executive role or Executive Director)
• Strong background in commercial lines, underwriting, or insurance operations.
• Experience working with niche markets (religious organizations, nonprofits, or specialty lines) preferred.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Strategic thinking with strong execution capability.
• Deep financial acumen and P&L management experience.
• Strong understanding of underwriting, claims, and risk management.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to balance mission-driven service with business performance.
• High integrity and values-based leadership approach.
• Comfort and credibility in public facing communication, with a grounded and humble presence.

Key Performance Indicators

1. Sustainable premium growth and retention

2. Strong underwriting performance and combined ratio management

3. Operational efficiency and expense discipline

4. High employee engagement and leadership development

5. Customer satisfaction and long-term relationships

6. Regulatory compliance and governance excellence

Physical Requirements

Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times. This position requires periodic travel to support board engagement, cultivate strategic relationships, and represent the organization within the insurance industry.

Other duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

EEO statement: We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to any statuses protected by federal, state or local law.

Applications will be accepted through August 31, 2026

Qualified candidates are invited to submit a letter of intent and resume through LinkedIn or to ***email_hidden***