OneAmerica^® recognized 12 associates as ASPIRE honorees, celebrating their outstanding performance on behalf of the life insurance, retirement and employee benefits organization. The associates were honored at the company’s ninth annual ASPIRE Awards gala at the Indiana History Center.

The ASPIRE values — Achievement, Stewardship, Partnership, Integrity, Responsiveness and Excellence — guide about 2,500 OneAmerica associates in all work endeavors. Associates are nominated for the annual honor by peers, supervisors or project partners. The 12 associates honored were chosen from 164 associates who received a total of 258 nominations.

“I’m always inspired at how OneAmerica associates embody our ASPIRE values,” said Scott Davison, chairman, president and CEO of OneAmerica. “They exemplify the ideal of empowerment with accountability and lead the way in our commitment to deliver on the promises that we make to our customers every day.”

Anne Scheil, a senior actuarial analyst in the Individual Life and Financial Services line of business, was presented with the ASPIRE Distinguished Achievement honor. Over her 43-year career, Scheil has become known as a subject matter expert who handles complex cases well while keeping clients’ interests at heart. Scheil delayed her retirement to ensure that her vast knowledge was transferred to team members during “Scheil Download” sessions. A Hanover College graduate majoring in economics, she lives in Indianapolis.

The ASPIRE Excellence in Execution honorees were John Allen, digital product manager, Enterprise Marketing and Communications; and Tim Weller, workflow manager, Enterprise Operations.

In his eight-year career at OneAmerica, Allen, a former journalist, has become known for his consistent pattern of adding value to every project with which he’s connected. This has taken many forms, such as improving how content is managed, mentoring others and responding quickly to requests. “He makes us all better with his wisdom,” one nominator said. A native of New York state and a graduate of Ithaca College, Allen lives in Fishers, Indiana.

Considered a master innovator, Weller partners with teams across OneAmerica to automate manual processes and solve problems. He’s produced hundreds of tools and solutions to improve efficiency and save money. A 19-year OneAmerica veteran, he’s the son and nephew of OneAmerica associates. “Having relatives as part of the OneAmerica family inspires me,” he said. Weller holds a degree in mathematics from Indiana State University and lives in Indianapolis.

The ASPIRE Excellence in Partnership honorees were Stuart Wood, an internal sales manager, and Keri Price, a senior plan manager, both in the Retirement Services (RS) line of business.

Over his 22 years with OneAmerica, Wood has become known as someone who puts clients’ needs above his own. His philosophy of “put yourself in other people’s shoes” has successfully guided his career. “I wouldn’t meet my goals without Stuart,” a nominator said. Wood lives in Bargersville, Indiana.

Price has built strong relationships with external and internal customers during her 25-year career at OneAmerica. She supports a block of business worth $700 million, and some clients cite her as a key reason they stay with OneAmerica. She also takes time to mentor new team members. A native of Indianapolis, Price worked in the OneAmerica Tower for 23 years before moving to Cape Coral, Florida.

ASPIRE Outstanding Team Impact honorees were Mary Pyrzynski, team lead for the RS Relationship Coordination Center of Excellence, and Laura Clawson, senior closing coordinator on the OneAmerica legal team.

Pyrzynski, an eight-year OneAmerica veteran, ensures that clients get what they need in a timely way. Colleagues noted her ability to step into a team, identify a problem and waste no time working on solutions. For example, she created a sitemap with ready access to important documents. Pyrzynski lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Clawson is known as a team MVP — Most Valuable Player. “If you removed her from the roster, our loan closings and our success would suffer,” a nominator said. The 12-year veteran is known for collaboration between the Finance and Legal teams and her ability to alleviate challenges that come with year-end closings. She lives in Franklin, Indiana, with her family.

ASPIRE honorees for Outstanding Leadership were Chris Miller, senior director, data governance and quality, Data & Analytics; James Humphrey, vice president, valuation actuary, Finance; and Tony Marichal, vice president, enterprise call center, Enterprise Operations.

A six-year veteran of OneAmerica, Miller has a creative and humble leadership style that includes open mic and peer review sessions. His approach has helped him build a thriving enterprise data governance program. “With Chris leading the way to data usability, we can have confidence in the direction we are heading,” a nominator said. Miller holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Michigan State University and a computer science degree from the University of Southern Indiana. He lives in Indianapolis.

Humphrey, in his 13th year with the company, has led his team to deliver remarkable results on such major initiatives as financial reporting standardization and Care Solutions product pricing. His colleagues call him a “clear, smart thinker” who believes in helping others grow. One nominator wrote, “He has the ability to understand nuance at a high level but also work with a freshman out of college.” He lives in Avon, Indiana.

Marichal, who has been at OneAmerica for five years, received accolades for his work during the pandemic. “You have to be super intentional at creating community in a 100-percent virtual environment,” he said. Known for driving strategy across teams, encouraging authenticity and always speaking up, he was recognized for his leadership style, vision and pursuit of excellence, as well as his work to improve customer service through consolidation of contact centers. He holds a degree in criminal justice from Indiana University and lives in New Palestine, Indiana.

ASPIRE honorees for Extraordinary Senior Leadership were Andy Wilkinson, the recently retired head of Institutional Markets and RS Finance; and John Mason, senior vice president and chief investment officer for the companies of OneAmerica.

Wilkinson began his OneAmerica career as an actuarial intern in 1981. Over the next four decades, he held roles across the enterprise, shifting his focus to Retirement Services in 1998. He played a key role in strategic acquisitions and building the company’s institutional business. In retirement, Wilkinson plans to spend time with his family on Lake Lamb in Trafalgar, Indiana.

Mason has served OneAmerica for 36 years, the last 11 as chief investment officer, and will retire in May. Known for his sure hand and calm demeanor, he guided OneAmerica through the economic downturn in 2008-2009 with the highest financial performance rate of any U.S. insurance company and is responsible for the company’s recent strong investment performance. He earned his MBA at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and lives in Fortville, Indiana.

The ASPIRE Awards program was created in 2014 to celebrate top-performing OneAmerica associates who live the company’s ASPIRE values and have demonstrated a consistent track record of success serving our customers and financial professionals.

OneAmerica^® is the marketing name for the companies of OneAmerica.

###

About OneAmerica^®

A national provider of insurance and financial services for more than 140 years, the companies of OneAmerica help customers build and protect their financial futures. OneAmerica offers a variety of products and services to serve the financial needs of their policyholders and customers. These products include retirement plan products and recordkeeping services, individual life insurance, annuities, asset-based long-term care solutions and employee benefit plan products. Products are issued and underwritten by the companies of OneAmerica and distributed through a nationwide network of employees, agents, brokers and other sources who are committed to providing value to our customers. To learn more about our products, services and the companies of OneAmerica, visit oneamerica.com/about-us/companies-of-oneamerica.

Media Contact:

Zach Osowski

Zach.Osowski@oneamerica.com