# Bill Westrate

> Bill Westrate is chair and CEO of American Family Insurance Group, based in Madison, Wisconsin. He joined in 1996 as an actuarial analyst, became CEO in 2022 and chair in 2024. His tenure includes a recovery in underwriting results, the sale of The General to Sentry and the proposed 2026 acquisition of Bowhead. He is a past chair of the IIHS board and United Way of Dane County.

- **Role:** Chair and CEO at American Family Insurance Group
- **Organizations:** American Family Insurance Group, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, United Way of Dane County, Business Roundtable, Casualty Actuarial Society, American Academy of Actuaries
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Northwestern College
- **Known for:** Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and member of the American Academy of Actuaries., Past chair of United Way of Dane County and a member of its 2026 board., Elected chair of the IIHS board for 2024.

## Career timeline

- **1996** — Joined American Family as an actuarial analyst.
- **2006** — Elected vice president of the Actuarial Division.
- **2008** — Named vice president of Personal Lines.
- **2011** — Became executive vice president overseeing product-line divisions.
- **2014** — Became chief operating officer.
- **2017** — Became enterprise president.
- **2021** — Became CEO-elect.
- **2022** — Succeeded Jack Salzwedel as CEO on January 1.
- **2024** — Added the role of board chair; elected IIHS board chair for 2024.

## Achievements

- Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and member of the American Academy of Actuaries.
- Past chair of United Way of Dane County and a member of its 2026 board.
- Elected chair of the IIHS board for 2024.
- Led American Family during its return to property-casualty underwriting profitability in 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Bowhead’s definitive proxy schedules a November 13 shareholder meeting on the proposed acquisition; the transaction remains subject to approvals and other conditions.
- **2026-08** — American Family agreed to acquire the Bowhead shares it does not already own in a cash transaction valuing Bowhead at approximately $1.2 billion.
- **2026-03** — American Family reported 2025 revenue of $19.5 billion and a property-casualty combined ratio of 84.6%, with lower catastrophe losses contributing to improvement.

## Links

- Website: https://www.amfam.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billwestrate
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/WWestrate

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/bill-westrate
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21