Mike Foster

I like to think of myself a "Strategic Doer" as framing strategies and then owning the execution is where I operate best. I generally live at the intersection of strategy, operations, and technology, equally comfortable shaping direction in a boardroom and in the weeds figuring out why a process is breaking down. I've never been good at picking one side of that fence, and I've stopped trying. Over 20+ years in insurance, I've genuinely done most of the jobs: claims, underwriting, product, finance, operations, technology, strategy, M&A. Personal lines, commercial, group. Domestic and international. That breadth wasn't planned; it's what happens when you consistently run toward the hard, interesting problems. I'm a data-driven decision maker, but I've learned that perfect is the enemy of good. When the data points in a direction, I move. Some of my best lessons came from the decisions that didn't work out, and I think that's how it should be. As a leader I try to show up with humility, curiosity, and honesty. The best teams I've been part of were ones where people felt safe to say what was actually true. I'm an optimist by nature, which helps (especially for someone who gravitates toward bottlenecks). Outside of being an unabashed insurance nerd, I also geek out over coffee, financial markets, sports (especially hockey & golf), travel, and a good book/podcast.