www.HartfordBusiness.com • November 19, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 3
Newsmakers
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More Hartford sports?
"Part of our concept as
Hartford Athletic is really
broader than just soccer."
Bruce Mandell , CEO
and chairman of Hartford
Sports Group, which owns
the new Hartford Athletic pro soccer club, on
his hopes of also attracting professional rugby
and/or lacrosse teams to Dillon Stadium.
Christopher Swift | Chairman & CEO, The Hartford
By Sean Teehan
steehan@hartfordbusiness.com
In addition to serving as chief executive and
board chair of The Hartford, Christopher Swift
is chair of a campaign to raise $20 million for a
new Boys and Girls Club of
Hartford facility in the city's
South End.
The Hartford, a Fortune
500 property and casu-
alty insurance company,
pledged $1 million to that
effort. That's important
because it represents The
Hartford's commitment to
the city in which it's based,
Swift said, calling corporate-nonprofit partner-
ships "critical."
Meanwhile, on the insurance front, things
are going well, Swift said. Several major storms
in recent years have led many to look closer at
insuring their property in case a similar disaster
hits their area.
In 2019 and beyond, Swift says insurance-relat-
ed technological innovation as well as community
partnerships will be pivotal to The Hartford.
How important is it for executives from large com-
panies like The Hartford to work with nonprofits
like Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford?
It's critical. We want the city of Hartford to
thrive, and nonprofits like BGCH are indispens-
able to achieving that. Our $1 million pledge to
the capital campaign brings together our com-
pany's long-standing commitment to the city of
Hartford and to young people.
We are headquartered in the city, but we believe
all corporations that have a presence here have a
responsibility to make their communities better.
Have concerns around climate change led
customers to shift demand in any way when it
comes to things like home insurance and condo-
minium insurance?
Following several major hurricanes in recent
years, we have seen greater consumer awareness
of the difference between, and need for, home-
owner's and flood insurance. We are focused on
making sure our customers are prepared and un-
derstand the best way to protect their property.
With 2019 almost here, what do you predict will
be the biggest issues in the insurance industry
next year?
The insurance industry continues to be
disrupted by technological innovation. We are
always looking at how we can best use data and
analytics, enhance our digital solutions for cus-
tomers and engage insuretech companies to stay
on the leading edge of everything from under-
writing to the claims experience.
VERBATIM
Key attraction
"The XL Center is an asset
for this region, it's critically
important. We have to make
sure it survives."
Andy Bessette , executive
vice president and chief
administrative officer of The Travelers Cos.
and a board member of the Capital Region
Development Authority, on the need to
preserve and strengthen the aging XL Center.
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Christopher Swift
