Jeremy Brandt has worked in SFM’s premium audit department for 15 years, starting as an Internal Premium Auditor and now serving as Premium Audit Technical Specialist. We asked him about his background and his role at SFM.

How did you get into the premium audit field?
There wasn’t anything that really drove me to insurance. I was just out of college looking for a job and that’s when I came across a medical underwriting job. After a short time in that role, I found an entry-level position as an auditor at SFM, and it ended up working out.

How would you describe your role in a nutshell?
As the Audit Technical Specialist, I’m the go-to person when underwriters have class code questions, or other auditors have questions about classifications or rules or anything like that. If I don’t know it off hand, I do the research and find it for them. I also do some internal, electronic and external audits and then handle any vendor audits and additional projects that the team has, so it’s kind of a wide array.

Is there a time that stands out to you when your job was particularly rewarding?
Anytime I am able to help other coworkers if their workload gets too overwhelming and keep them a little less stressed about their work. Other than that, there have been plenty of times where a policyholder calls and asks for help to get something right away such as a revised audit or something like that. I enjoy just being there to help them out.

What do you like most about your job?
I’d say I like the team that we have in the audit department. Everybody really gets along and works well together. I also like the variety I have in my work now that I am taking on additional projects and stuff like that.

What’s most challenging about your job?
It’s the difficult audits where the decisions make a pretty significant impact on premium. Our goal is to make sure everybody understands the rules and why they’re applied with minimal frustration from the policyholder and agent’s standpoint.

What tips do you have for employers?
We know everyone’s really busy, but when the auditors call for additional information or send an email, it helps a lot when employers get back to them as soon as possible. The sooner we hear back, the sooner we can get the audit finalized. When there are delays, it can lead to inaccuracies in the audit or even cancellation in some cases.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
When I’m not working, I tend to be at a softball field. I help coach a 12U fastpitch softball club team, my younger daughter’s team. My older daughter is in club softball as well, so we’re basically traveling all over all the time for softball. I think in the last year we’ve gone to more states for tournaments than I’d ever visited in my entire life before that, so it’s kind of chaos, but it’s a fun chaos.

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Earlier this year, SFM established a new scholarship program designed to identify and support future leaders and introduce them to rewarding careers in the insurance industry. The Bob Lund Scholarship is named for SFM’s former CEO, who is widely known for his service to the field of insurance and his continuing passion for making the world a better place.

The group of SFM employees behind this effort, known as the Insuring the Future Committee, chose to partner with Wallin Education Partners . This Minnesota-based nonprofit has an established history of connecting students in need with the support they need to succeed in college and beyond. The Wallin scholarship program is committed to supporting students from historically underserved communities and eliminating barriers for groups that are underrepresented in business leadership roles (see page 100 of the 2022 Wallin Scholarship Yearbook where the SFM program is detailed).

“We decided to partner with Wallin because not only do they facilitate the scholarship and help us find a student, but they also provide support to students in the program throughout their college career,” said Insuring the Future Committee chair Carl Gruber. “They’re committed to supporting their students and helping them succeed.”

Meet the first Bob Lund Scholar

The inaugural Bob Lund Scholarship recipient, Van Nguyen, started this fall at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities as a first-year student.

The major Nguyen has chosen to pursue is Finance, Operations Management. She graduated from Robbinsdale Cooper High School in 2022, having distinguished herself through both academics and extracurricular achievements. The plan is to award Nguyen a scholarship through all four years of school, as long as she stays compliant with the program’s requirements.

In her scholarship application, Nguyen shared: “I believe that a successful college experience would be being able to find out who you are as you’re developing so many new skills and academic enrichments while learning about your interests.”

In addition to sponsoring Nguyen, the Insuring the Future Committee plans to support a new student each year, aiming to provide scholarships for four students at a time. The committee is also working on starting an internship open to Wallin Scholars.

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The SFM Foundation started out in 2008, with a mission to ease the burdens on families affected by workplace accidents. Fourteen years and three million dollars later, SFM Foundation scholarships are changing lives by making college possible for students in need.

In May, the Foundation’s annual Iowa golf event saw record turnout and received rave reviews from participants. The Foundation’s Minnesota golf outing in June has become one of the largest charity golf tournaments in the state, and this year’s event did not disappoint! These annual Golfing for Scholarships tournaments are the primary source of fundraising for the scholarship fund, and support from the community has never been stronger. Combined, this year’s golf events raised approximately $325,000 for the Foundation’s scholarship program.

This fall brings yet another opportunity to support the Foundation, with the popular live fall fundraising event returning to the calendar in November. The in-person event is scheduled for Thursday, November 10, at the Westin Edina Galleria in Edina, Minnesota, near SFM’s Bloomington headquarters. The live event will feature wine and craft beer tasting, a silent auction, raffles, shopping, appetizers and more. The Foundation is also planning a virtual silent auction November 7-10. Visit sfmfoundation.com to learn more about these fun ways to support a great cause.

Since its inception in 2008, the Foundation’s scholarships have helped 216 students pursue higher education, including the 13 new recipients announced this summer. Generous support from event sponsors and donors over the years has allowed the Foundation to grant scholarships totaling more than $3.2 million.

The SFM Foundation provides scholarships for students whose parents were seriously injured or killed while working for Minnesota or Iowa employers. SFM Foundation is an affiliate of Kids’ Chance of America in Iowa and Minnesota, and is also known as Kids’ Chance of Iowa. To learn more about the cause, visit sfmfoundation.com .

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Wisconsin-based Marketing Underwriter Specialist Rick Spaulding has worked at SFM for nine years, and in the insurance industry for 16 years. We asked Rick a few questions about his role and his background.

What was your first job in the insurance industry?

Back in 2006, I was hired by another insurance carrier as an underwriting trainee. I sometimes look back and wonder where I would be today had I not gotten that job — probably not in the insurance world. It is just kind of neat how one little decision can really affect the rest of your life.

How would you describe your role at SFM?

It’s a little bit more complicated than a traditional underwriter because we are marketing underwriters here at SFM — so it’s a dual role. As an underwriter, I assess risk by determining insurability and then pricing. The other side of it, which is the side I think I gravitate toward and enjoy the most, is developing relationships with independent agents. When you work with somebody who you’ve gotten to know over the years and you help them succeed, and they help you succeed, and then we see our policyholders succeed by experiencing favorable loss experience, it just gives me a feeling that I’m having an impact.

How is SFM different from other carriers that you’ve worked with?

I’ve worked with other carriers both as an employee and an independent insurance agent. I would say that SFM stands out the most from other carriers in our service level. We’re a lot more hands-on than most. The fact we’re in a dual role as marketing underwriters is also unique in the field. Being a marketing underwriter at SFM, I’m able to not only develop those relationships and make promises, I’m able to fulfill those promises and follow through with what I say I’m going to do.

Is there a time that stands out to you when your job was particularly rewarding?

This past year when a survey from one of our agent partners showed us among their top preferred carriers, that was very rewarding. It was really a testament to the hard work we’ve been putting in over the last decade. To see those survey results just praising how much they love working with our claims department, our loss prevention department, and working with me on renewals and new business just made me feel really good about all of the hard work that we’ve put in.

On a related note, we’re part of the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association, and when we’re at their annual conference, numerous policyholders come up to us and thank us for what we do. They mention all the loss prevention services we provide them and how well our claim reps handled certain claims, and just really express how much they enjoy working with us. That’s a really, really neat experience to see coming from the customer.

What do you like most about your job?

I love having the ability to make decisions. I’ve worked myself to a point now where my manager trusts the decisions that I make, and I trust him as well, and we have open communication.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I kind of have a crazy household. There are six of us – including four kids, so it makes for interesting and fun times. We’re constantly busy doing sports and being involved with the school. My unique hobby that I’ve taken up in the last year is Brazilian jiujitsu, and it has really just given me something to push myself outside of my comfort zone.

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Sarah Hunter was recently promoted to SFM’s Vice President, Claims, and previously worked as Staff Counsel with SFM’s in-house law firm. We asked Sarah about her new role and her background.

How would you describe your role at SFM?

My job is about looking at the claim process more broadly and making sure that our claim representatives have the resources to handle claims in the most effective way for good outcomes — not only for the injured worker, but for the policyholder as well.

You’ve been in the workers’ compensation industry for a while now. What do you like about the industry?

I think it’s the wide variety of things that you come across in workers’ compensation. You see claims from every industry in the workforce and there’s always something different. You get such a variety of challenges with workers’ compensation. It’s also rewarding because usually we’re coming across people during some of the hardest times — after they’ve been hurt at work — and there’s that ability to help them through that.

What words of wisdom do you have for employers on managing workers’ compensation claims?

From what I’ve seen, one of the biggest factors in a good outcome is the employer’s investment in that injured worker. That includes things like showing concern if they’ve been hurt. A lot of claims go to litigation when employees feel like their employer suddenly doesn’t want anything to do with them because they’ve been hurt. You’d be surprised at how far keeping in touch with an injured worker will go. This is especially true when they’re completely restricted from work because they can feel like they’re being brushed aside and forgotten. So really investing in those injured workers and letting them know they’re still valued and they’re still cared about.

What aspects of the way SFM handles claims sets us apart?

Really, it’s just doing the right thing — not just the right thing for the injured worker, but also the right thing for the policyholder and the right thing for SFM. More often than not those three things overlap, so it’s keeping all of those interests in mind and that being a part of the equation.

What do you like about your job?

What I’ve really liked so far is that a big part of my job is to make sure there’s a support structure in place for the claim representatives. That feels really good because they’ve got really hard jobs that are very important. A big part of what I’ve been doing is making sure we are supporting them and making their jobs as efficient as possible. That’s very rewarding.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I love the outdoors. My family and I are avid campers, and we like to go hiking, biking and paddle boarding during warmer months. In winter we go cross-country skiing, and we learned how to downhill ski this winter.

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SFM Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Kathy Bray is among this year’s recipients of the Minnesota Lawyer In-House Counsel Awards . A celebration breakfast and award ceremony were held on April 21, 2022, at Leopold’s Mississippi Gardens in Brooklyn Park, MN.

Minnesota Lawyer named 20 honorees this year, all of whom are Minnesota-based lawyers who work in-house in both the public and private sectors.

Award categories include:

• Public Company
• Private Company with annual revenues up to $500 million
• Private Company with annual revenues over $500 million
• Nonprofit or Government Organization
• Healthcare Organization
• Rising Star
• Lifetime Achievement

Minnesota Lawyer describes the award as celebrating in-house counsel for their ability to “navigate complicated contract negotiations, defend their companies in high stakes litigation and defend some of an organization’s most important assets.”

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Small Business Accounts Claims Specialist Beth Couette has worked at SFM for nine years, and in the workers’ compensation industry for 35 years. We asked Beth for some details about herself and her role.

You’ve been a workers’ compensation claims representative for many years now. Why have you chosen to stay working in this field?

I have always found this job to be interesting as no two claims are the same, therefore, every day is different. It’s also nice being able to help somebody through the work comp process.

How would you describe your role?

My job is helping people that have had a work comp injury get back to their pre-injury condition with as little disruption to their lives as possible. Another big part of my job is guiding our insureds through the claims process as most small business owners haven’t had a lot of experience with workers’ compensation claims.

How is SFM different from other carriers that you’ve worked for over the years?

I was so impressed the first week I started at SFM as I happened to pass our CEO at the time and he welcomed me and knew my name! I thought, “Oh, this is really different. This is going to be a really nice company to work for.” My first impression was correct, it has been a great place to work for the last almost 10 years. There are also so many resources that we have available to us — in-house legal, physician advisors, claims techs, etc. I also like the fact that we work in teams, with claims and underwriting working alongside of each other.

Is there a time that stands out to you when your job was particularly rewarding?

It’s nice to get feedback from an injured worker stating that they appreciate all the work you’ve done for them during their claim. I got an email recently from an injured worker who had two surgeries and had been out of work for almost two years, and we finally got a discharge for him to return to work. The email stated how much he appreciated everything we had done for him. That was really nice to hear. It makes the job worthwhile.

What do you like about your job?

It can be a very emotional and hard time when you’ve been injured on the job, so it’s nice being able to help somebody get through that rough time and get them back on their feet.

What words of wisdom do you have for small business employers?

It’s important to get first reports of injury into SFM as soon as possible (especially if they are lost time) because we have time limits from the state that start when the employer learns of the injury. The sooner we can get that claim, the sooner we can get going on investigating, taking statements and gathering medical information. It also helps when they’re able to give us as much information as possible, like how the injury happened and what the employee was doing at the time, etc. Also, if they have any concerns on the claim, let us know up front and as soon as possible so that we can explore those concerns. Another thing I think that’s important is for the employer to keep in contact with the injured employee — to periodically check in with them if they’re off of work to find out how they’re doing and express that they’re looking forward to having them back.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I love to travel, whether it be across the United States or short road trips. I like to read. I love pretty much all sports, whether watching on TV or going to sporting events. My kids are adults now but I love to spend time with them.

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SFM Mutual Insurance Co. announced that its Financial Strength Rating of “A- (Excellent)” and Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” have been reaffirmed by AM Best Rating Services, Inc.

AM Best issued this affirmation based on its assessment of SFM’s balance sheet strength, as well as its operating performance, business profile, innovation and enterprise risk management. Prior to publicly disclosing this affirmation, AM Best conducted a detailed analysis of SFM’s finances and operations.

“Our annual review with AM Best gives us the opportunity to share our company’s story with experts from the largest credit rating agency in the world,” said SFM President and CEO Terry Miller. “We view their rating as an important indicator of SFM’s long-term financial strength and stability.”

About AM Best
AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com .

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SFM recently promoted Sarah Hunter to Vice President, Claims, succeeding the retiring Meg Kasting.

“Sarah’s legal expertise and commitment to maintaining our high level of claims service will make her a great asset to our company and its policyholders,” said SFM Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Kaiser. “Sarah has already demonstrated leadership in areas of critical importance to the company, and we’re excited to promote her to this broader role.”

Hunter joined SFM in 2018 as staff counsel with SFM’s in-house law firm. During her time with SFM, she has represented employers in cases involving litigated claims and led the company’s internal COVID-19 response efforts. She previously worked in private practice as a defense attorney in workers’ compensation cases.

As Vice President, Claims, Hunter will oversee claim policies, education and regulatory compliance as well as the Special Investigations/Subrogation Unit and Medical Services.

“I’m looking forward to playing a leadership role in SFM’s proactive approach to claim handling,” Hunter said. “Our focus on collaboration among claims, legal and medical professionals, and doing the right thing for all parties involved helps us uphold our commitment to excellent service.”

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The Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Reinsurance Association (WCRA) has announced a $600 million surplus distribution to its members and insurer policyholders. Approximately $383 million will go to workers’ compensation insurers, $182 million will be distributed to self-insurers, and $35 million will go to policyholders.

Details about the distribution process are available on a dedicated website set up by the WCRA .

About the WCRA

The WCRA is a quasi-public, nonprofit association that provides reinsurance for all insurance companies and self-insured employers licensed to provide workers’ compensation in Minnesota. To learn more about the organization, visit wcra.biz .

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