ATLANTA, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Crawford &
Company (NYSE: CRDA; CRDB), the world's largest independent
provider of claims management solutions, has named Vince E. Cole, a highly experienced senior
strategic and operational leader, as executive vice president of
strategy and performance development.
In this role, Cole will partner with business segment leaders
and corporate executives to conceive and execute strategic,
long-term financial plans for Crawford. He will lead a team of professionals
around the world in managing the Company's corporate financial
planning and analysis, strategy and mergers and acquisitions
activity. He also will develop competitive analyses to contribute
to decisions about new markets, products and pricing.
Cole reports to President and Chief Executive Officer
Jeffrey T. Bowman and is a member of
Crawford's Global Executive
Management team. "Vince has spent more than 20 years in a wide
range of roles that include strategy, marketing, product
development and operations," Bowman said. "He has compiled an
excellent track record of identifying solutions and executing on
plans to meet business challenges and improve performance. I am
certain he will make a significant contribution to our organization
as we continue to develop strategies and seek opportunities to
grow."
Cole served in a variety of executive-level marketing, product
development and operations positions at several General Electric
Co. business units during 10 years with that company, including
leading several units as their president. His time with the company
includes a highly successful tenure as vice president of product
development and management for GE Financial, for which he
introduced 51 new products that drove $18
billion in annualized new insurance written.
While with General Electric, Cole was at various times president
of GE Services Network, GE Composites and GE Casualty, a consumer
marketing and insurance business. He also served as a master black
belt for GE Plastics and GE Capital.
After working for General Electric, Cole spent three years at
Genworth Financial, a Richmond,
Va.-based provider of mortgage insurance, long term care
insurance, life insurance and retirement solutions. He first served
as senior vice president of strategy, product development and
business expansion, and later as chief marketing officer and senior
vice president of strategy for Genworth International. In that
role, he introduced several new product lines and executed an
international segment strategy that contributed to a significant
growth in net income and market share.
Most recently, Cole served as CEO of Activa Medical Inc.,
Raleigh, N.C., a start-up company
in the online medical device distribution market. Prior to that
position, he was CEO of Aggio Medical, also in Raleigh, a medical device and services
organization for which he more than quadrupled revenue and earnings
in a 15-month period.
Cole graduated from Montana State
University in Bozeman with a degree in mechanical
engineering and technology and held positions as an engineer and
manager before joining GE.
About Crawford
Based in Atlanta, Ga., Crawford
& Company (www.crawfordandcompany.com) is the world's largest
independent provider of claims management solutions to the risk
management and insurance industry as well as self-insured entities,
with an expansive global network serving clients in more than 70
countries. The Crawford System of Claims SolutionsSM
offers comprehensive, integrated claims services, business process
outsourcing and consulting services for major product lines
including property and casualty claims management, workers
compensation claims and medical management, and legal settlement
administration. The Company's shares are traded on the NYSE under
the symbols CRDA and CRDB.
SOURCE Crawford & Company