Ed Largent — President, CEO, and Board Chair of Westfield, one of the most enduring companies in Ohio.

Very few companies in the world can boast the longevity of Westfield, which is celebrating its 175th year of existence. Originally founded by a small group of Ohio farmers in 1848, Westfield is now one of the largest non-public companies in Ohio, the largest employer in Medina County, Ohio, and has grown to be one of the nation’s leading property and casualty insurance companies, with recent international expansion, and as the largest writer of contract performance bonds in Ohio, with over $2.5 billion in direct written premium and $8.5 billion in consolidated assets.

Ed joined Westfield in 1986 and was appointed CEO and President of Westfield in 2015 after having served in a variety of previous leadership roles, including as Westfield’s Administration Leader and Chief Technology Officer.

In our conversation today, we explore the ingredients that make for longevity and unpack how and why Westfield has been able to balance its multi-generational growth and commitment to ensuring the financial stability of its customers all without sacrificing its own resiliency and antifragility through some of the most risk-on periods of American history. We talk about the importance of cultivating people and empathy, being grounded in purpose, and aligning culture around these tenets.

It was a real privilege to hear Ed's reflections on leadership and on Westfield’s history, present, and future going forward — please enjoy my conversation with Ed Largent.

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Learn more about Westfield — https://www.westfieldinsurance.com/

Follow Westfield on Twitter — https://twitter.com/Westfield1848/

Connect with Ed Largent on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/edlargent/

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

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