The Massachusetts Insurance Federation was formed in 2003
The Massachusetts Insurance Federation’s Executive Director, James Harrington, has announced his retirement. Mr. Harrington has served as Executive Director of the Commonwealth’s largest insurance trade association since its inception. Prior to joining the MIF, he was the Vice President of State Affairs at the American Insurance Association. His insurance career experience also includes sixteen years as the American Insurance Association’s Vice President of the Northeast Region and five years as the Regional Legislative Director with the National Association of Independent Insurers.
In addition to his extensive insurance experience, Mr. Harrington is also a former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives where he served two terms as a State Representative from the 1st Worcester District. While a State Representative, he also served as a ranking minority member of the Insurance Committee from 1979 – 1983.
In announcing his retirement, Mr. Harrington said,
“For 11 years it has been an honor to lead this organization. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such dedicated and nationally recognized experts in the field of property and casualty insurance. The membership of this organization continues to expand as companies recognize MIF’s important role in helping to shape public policy affecting insurers doing business in the Commonwealth. I expect this organization to continue to thrive and expand far into the future.”
The growth of the MIF into the Commonwealth’s largest insurance industry trade association
Under Mr. Harrington’s leadership, the MIF has grown over the last decade from six to 24 members companies to become the leading public policy trade association for the property/casualty insurance industry in Massachusetts. These 24 companies include the largest domestic and foreign insurance companies in the Commonwealth, writing virtually every line of property/casualty insurance in the state. In monetary terms, these MIF members, along with their affiliates, currently write an estimated $7.5 billion in property casualty insurance premiums, representing almost 60 percent of the total such business in the Commonwealth.
More specifically, in the Massachusetts insurance marketplace these MIF member companies:
- write three-fourths of the private passenger auto business;
- almost two-thirds of homeowner’s business written
- nearly two-thirds of the workers’ compensation business written
- and more than than three-fourths of medical malpractice insurance premiums written by licensed insurers.
As Executive Director, Mr. Harrington’s primary responsibilities included advocating for MIF members on all proposed legislative, regulatory and executive branch actions. This included helping MIF members in the preparation of lobbying strategies, as well as reviewing and analyzing all legislative proposals and regulatory rulemaking procedures.
Undoubtedly, the most lasting legacy of Mr. Harrington’s tenure at the MIF will be the association’s efforts in advocating the introduction of “Managed Competition” to the Commonwealth. Introduced in April of 2008, the transition from the old “Fixed and Establish” system to “Managed Competition” in the Massachusetts private passenger automobile insurance marketplace came to fruition.
“Jim has been a tireless advocate for property/casualty insurers for nearly 35 years,” according to American Insurance Association Senior Vice President for State Affairs Joseph DiGiovanni. “As Executive Director of the MIF, Jim was able to bring the industry together around one table and drive consensus.”
No successor to Mr. Harrington has been announced as of yet.
