Erie Insurance announced senior leadership changes

Erie Insurance announced a series of senior leadership changes within the Claims, Sales & Products and Information Technology divisions. The organizational changes are in conjunction with the January 2021 retirement of Chris Zimmer, senior vice president, Claims. Zimmer has been with Erie Insurance for 29 years in a variety of leadership roles.

Cody Cook will succeed Zimmer in the role of senior vice president, Claims. Cook has been ERIE’s senior vice president, Personal Products, since 2017. He previously served as vice president, Private Passenger Auto, for seven years. He started at ERIE in 2003 as an actuary and was promoted to supervisor of the Pricing and Modeling section in 2009.

Ruben Fechner will become senior vice president, Personal Products. Fechner joined ERIE in 2013 as senior vice president, Business Application & Support, Information Technology. He previously worked for The Hartford, where his most recent role was vice president of Commercial, Sales and Distribution Technology. He began his career at USAA, where he held a variety of leadership and technology roles over a 20-year period.

David Edgerton will be promoted to senior vice president, Information Technology. Edgerton has been vice president of Personal Lines Technology since 2018. He came to ERIE in 2014 as an IT delivery manager and was promoted to IT director in the Finance area in 2015. He served as IT director in Personal Lines technology from 2017 until he assumed his current role. Edgerton earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Auburn University and an MBA from Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University. Before joining ERIE, he served in the United States Navy for 20 years, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander.

The new leadership appointments will be effective October 22.