Who We Are

American Enterprise continues to be recognized throughout the industry as a company with excellent financial strength. This allows us to be able to provide you with greater solutions to protect the health, happiness, and financial security of your entire family.

Rated A (Excellent) by AM Best

In April 2022, AM Best affirmed the Financial Strength Ratings of A (Excellent) and the stable outlooks of its six insurance company subsidiaries. These subsidiaries operate under the brands of American Republic^®, Medico^®, and Great Western Insurance Company (GWIC^®). Founded in 1899, AM Best is a full-service credit rating organization dedicated to serving the insurance industry. The company is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For the latest ratings, visit ambest.com.

Our Story

Our roots date back to the inception of American Republic Insurance Company in 1929. The company was founded by Watson Powell, a pioneer in the health and accident insurance business. Medico Insurance Company was founded in 1930 as a health and accident association under the title Central Catholic Casualty Company with home offices in Columbus, NE. Great Western Insurance Company was established in 1983 in Ogden, UT, by John E. Lindquist, owner of Lindquist Mortuaries & Cemeteries. Medico Insurance Company was acquired in 2012, and Great Western Insurance Company was acquired in 2018.

Today, American Enterprise has multiple insurance companies under the American Republic^®, Great Western Insurance Company, and Medico^® brands. These companies are licensed in 49 states, plus the District of Columbia. Our insurance products are marketed through various distribution channels, including independent agents, career agents, direct marketing, funeral homes, and distribution partners. They include American Republic Insurance Services^® and Americare Group^®.

Our Annual Meeting

Voting Procedures and Ballot Requests

The annual meeting of American Enterprise Mutual Holding Company (the "Company") is held each year at 9 a.m. on the first Tuesday in March. At the annual meeting, members elect the Company's directors and transact any other business properly coming before the annual meeting. The next annual meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The annual meeting is held at the principal office of the Company, which is located at 601 Sixth Ave. in Des Moines, IA.

Voting procedures

At every annual meeting, each member who was a member of record on a date fixed by the Board of Directors shall have one vote upon any proposition coming before the meeting. The record date will not be more than 90 days prior to the annual meeting. Votes may be cast in person or by a ballot furnished by the Company, signed by the eligible voter, and mailed or personally delivered by the eligible voter to the principal office of the Company. To be counted, a ballot must include the policy or contract number or numbers or the billing number or numbers, be completed as prescribed in the instructions, and reach the principal office no later than the business day prior to the meeting at which it is to be voted.

How to request a ballot or additional information

An eligible voter who wishes to vote by ballot without attending the annual meeting may do so by requesting a ballot from the secretary of the Company at least 15 days prior to the meeting. The request should be sent to:

American Enterprise Mutual Holding Company
Attn: Corporate secretary
601 Sixth Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50309

Or call toll free at 888-787-2244.

*Policyholders of American Republic Insurance Company, American Republic Corp Insurance Company, Medico Insurance Company, Medico Corp Life Insurance Company, and Medico Life and Health Insurance Company are members of American Enterprise Mutual Holding Company (the "Company"). As a member of the Company, the membership interests consist of the right to vote at an annual or special meeting of the Company for the election of directors and on any proposition submitted to a vote of the members, as provided by the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of the Company, and such other rights as provided by law.
Annual Report

Click here to view the most recent American Enterprise Annual Report.

Board of Directors

Thomas A. Swank, Executive Chairman of the Board

Tom Swank is CEO and President of American Enterprise. He has served as a director of the Enterprise since April 2015. Prior to joining the Enterprise, Swank served as President and CEO at Aegon Asset Management U.S., an asset management company with approximately $250 billion under management. Swank also served as President and CEO of Aegon’s Individual Savings and Retirement division, which markets mutual fund and annuity products nationally under the Transamerica brand. There, Swank led a business with $9 billion in revenue, 80 billion under management, and a team of 1,400 associates

Craig W. Bainbridge, Director

Dr. Craig Bainbridge has recently retired from pulmonary and critical care practice after private practice of nearly 37 years. He has served as a director of American Enterprise since December 1999. Bainbridge has served on several boards including Morningside College, American Lung Association of Iowa, Iowa Health System, and St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center. During his career, Bainbridge has held the position of Chief Medical Officer and served on board Finance Committees. He has an MBA and MHA.

Donna J. Blank, Director

Elected to the American Enterprise Board in March 2018, most recently Donna Blank served as CFO at ZAIS Group, an alternative asset manager. Previously she served as CFO and Executive Vice President at a publicly traded insurance brokerage, National Financial Partners Corp. (NYSE:NFP). She has also served as CFO at Financial Guaranty Insurance Company, both before and subsequent to its sale by GE Capital to an investor group in late 2003. Earlier in her career, she held several management positions at FGIC, GE Capital Insurance Services, and a smaller private insurance company.

Kathryn M. Collins, Director

Kathy Collins was elected to the American Enterprise Board in March 2018. She serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer of Frontdoor, Inc. Previously, she served as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Government Employees Health Association, Inc. (GEHA). She also served as Chief Marketing Officer of Massage Envy and spent 12 years at H&R Block in the role of Vice President of Marketing Communications and Brand Management. Prior to H&R Block, Collins spent nearly 15 years at Lee Jeans, a division of VF Corporation.

Susan S. Harnett, Director

Elected to the American Enterprise Board in March 2022, Sue Harnett most recently was Chief Operating Officer, North America of QBE Insurance Group Limited. She was responsible for oversight of the company’s claims, information technology, corporate legal teams, board activities, and management of strategic information that expanded the company’s global footprint. Since 2015, Harnett has been a senior advisor to digital startups and mentor at the FinTech Innovation Lab. She co-founded two start-ups, Juntos and EqualFuture Corp. She has served on several boards, and currently serves as a director of Life Storage, Inc. and OFG Bancorp.

Terrance J. Lillis, Director

Elected to the American Enterprise Board in March 2020, Terry Lillis retired in 2017 as Executive Vice President and CFO of Des Moines, Iowa-based Principal Financial Group, which offers insurance solutions as well as retirement and asset management services. He joined Principal in 1982 as an actuarial student and proceeded to hold several senior actuarial, risk management, and product pricing roles before being named CFO in 2008. In 2014, Lillis was named the Deloitte CFO of the Year. He currently serves on several boards, including Citizens Financial Group and MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, as well as the Simpson College Board of Trustees.

Kathleen M. Redgate, Director

Kathy Redgate was elected to the American Enterprise Board in March 2020. She serves as Chief Operations Officer of Prosperity Life Insurance Group. Previously she was Executive Vice President, Advisor to the CEO for Global Atlantic Financial Group LLC, a leading retirement and life insurance company. She joined Global Atlantic in 2006 and held the positions of Chief Operating Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, and was a member of the Executive Committee. During her tenure she worked on several large acquisitions and helped significantly increase the company’s assets to more than $75 billion under management. From 2000 to 2006, Redgate held several leadership roles at Goldman Sachs and key positions on the company’s private equity fund and securities division management teams. She also spent 13 years serving in the U.S. Government, as a U.S. State Department Diplomat and as an Intelligence Analyst.

Gary P. Scholten, Director

Elected to the American Enterprise Board in March 2022, Gary Scholten served as Chief Information Officer at Principal Financial Group for 18 years, with a total tenure of 40 years with the company before his retirement in 2020. Scholten stepped into the CIO role in 2002 after the company went public, focusing his responsibilities on IT governance, global sourcing and procurement, and IT strategy processes. As CIO and Chief Digital Officer, Scholten played a key leadership role in navigating Principal through a significant digital transformation effort.

James M. Whisler, Director

Jim Whisler was elected to the American Enterprise Board in March 2022. He most recently was a Principal & health actuarial practice leader at Deloitte Consulting, LLP. Whisler spent over 30 years of his career (25 years as a principal) with Deloitte, one of the largest consultancies in the world. While there, Whisler led complex and beneficial projects for external clients, specializing within the healthcare space. He oversaw strategic programs in areas such as M&A, valuation of companies and lines of business, market entry, health information analytics, expert testimony, market assessment and expansion, health reform impact modeling, accountable care organization formation, and reimbursement development.