Federated Insurance Chairman and CEO Jeff Fetters announced that Michael G. Kerr was appointed president and CEO, and Nicholas R. Lower was appointed as executive vice president and COO, effective January 1. At that time, Fetters voluntarily relinquished his role as CEO while retaining his duties and responsibilities as chairman of Federated Mutual Insurance Companies.

Fetters’ duties include active management of the business of the company and working with the CEO and board to develop long-term strategy and vision. He will also continue to oversee Federated’s investment and legal departments. Additionally, Fetters and wife Marty will continue their active support of the Owatonna community and remain co-chairs of the Federated Challenge for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

As president and CEO, Kerr will oversee Federated’s property and casualty and life insurance operations, as well as its actuarial, information services and human resources departments. Kerr hails from northern Michigan and is a Central Michigan University graduate. Following successful tenures as a marketing representative, district marketing manager and regional marketing manager in Michigan and Indiana, Kerr relocated his family to Owatonna, where he has served in various leadership roles in Federated’s home office. He has been director of marketing and of association risk management services and has overseen home office marketing, property and casualty claims and underwriting, field services, life operations, learning center, advertising, human resources, property and casualty services, and office and physical services. He has also chaired Federated’s operations, commercial health and commercial lines teams.

Lower joined the company in 1999 as a marketing rep in Ohio following his graduation from Muskingum University. Since then, he has taken on several leadership roles in the company’s marketing functions, culminating in being named director of marketing in 2017. He’s also overseen Federated’s association risk management services department, as well as the marketing administration and incentives areas. In recent years, Lower has served as chair of Federated’s operations team, which helps oversee the company’s overall financial results. federatedinsurance.com