Encova Insurance Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, John Kessler, will retire at the end of 2026 after more than 40 years of dedicated service to the company. As part of the transition strategy, two new members have been appointed to Encova’s senior leadership team, effective July 1: Brandon Marshall, senior vice president, agency operations and marketing; and Casei Phillips, who has been promoted to senior vice president and chief communications officer.
Marshall’s role is vital to Encova’s distribution strategy and customer service operations across our footprint to strengthen agency relationships, promote trust and accountability and drive profitable growth through data-driven decision making. His previous experience as an independent agent and leading Encova underwriting, claims and loss control teams is key to our leadership and direction.
As Encova’s first chief communications officer, Phillips will enhance the alignment of strategic planning and business objectives with communication efforts to ensure consistent and effective messaging both internally and externally across the organization.
“Our senior leadership team plays a critical role in ensuring that core disciplines are represented in both strategic planning and operational decision making,” said President and CEO TJ Obrokta Jr. “We are grateful for John’s decades of leadership and vision, and we congratulate Brandon and Casei on their well-deserved appointments.”
Kessler’s work was integral in shaping Encova’s strategic direction and advancing its information technology capabilities.
“John’s leadership was instrumental in the successful implementation of Guidewire as well as the integration of Motorists Insurance Group and BrickStreet Insurance into Encova Insurance,” said Obrokta. “I can’t thank him enough for his entire career dedicated to the success of our company.”