Michaele James Receives 2017 Women in Insurance Leadership Award

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., October 2, 2017 – Michaele James, chief technology officer of CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer, has been named to the 2017 list of Women in Insurance Leadership. Now in its 12th year, Digital Insurance's Women in Insurance Leadership program recognizes the accomplishments of 10 extraordinary women across the quickly changing insurance industry.

As the chief technology officer for CSAA Insurance Group, Michaele James is responsible for innovating technology platforms that support the company’s lines of business and functional processes. Prior to her current role, she was vice president of IT Business Applications, and instrumental in successfully migrating nearly all of the insurance group’s business applications to state-of-the-art technology platforms. 

“It’s truly an honor to receive this recognition, which I consider a direct reflection of the achievements of my entire team,” said James. “As a leader, I am focused on encouraging others to speak up, take risks, and engage with confidence. I want people to feel like they’re heard, have an impact and are contributing to what we’re trying to achieve – which is to provide excellent service to AAA members.”

In less than six years, James has provided expert guidance for the implementation of numerous claims and policy system upgrades, as well as platform conversions affecting finance, sales and marketing, and human resources. As a result, she has helped the more than 100-year-old company reduce operational inefficiency, eliminate data redundancy, transition legacy systems, and satisfy policyholders and AAA members.

James is also active in her community, which closely aligns with the company’s strong commitment to volunteer service. Last year, CSAA Insurance Group achieved a 98 percent employee volunteer participation rate, which is the highest rate of corporate volunteer engagement ever recorded for a company with more than 3,000 employees.  

Nominations for the Women in Insurance Leadership honor are collected from across the insurance industry, including carrier companies, vendor partners, and industry analysts and observers. Previous years' winners serve as the judging panel, examining the business impact, creativity, and mentorship roles each nominee has demonstrated over her career.

The 2017 Women in Insurance Leadership Forum was held on Sept. 13-14 in Chicago, where James and the nine other 2017 awardees were recognized for navigating the rapid digitalization of insurance, and developing and executing ideas that have real business impact.

About CSAA Insurance Group
CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer, offers automobile, homeowners and other personal lines of insurance to AAA members through AAA clubs in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Founded in 1914, the company has been rated “A” or better by A.M. Best for 90 years, and is one of the top personal lines property casualty insurance groups in the United States, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The company has been repeatedly named one of the 50 most community-minded companies in America by Points of Light.