Vice President — Innovation and Data
Guy can speak to impacts on houses of worship during COVID, armed intruder prevention, cyber risks & sexual abuse prevention.
1 min
As The Christian Science Monitor looks into increased acts of violence at houses of worship, they reached out to Guy Russ, vice president innovation and data, about why these incidents hit so close to home.
3 min
MERRILL, Wis. Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.1, looks to further the company’s growth and success through the promotion of four leaders. These individuals will continue to guide the company and advance its mission to serve those who serve others. Craig Huss has been promoted to vice president – information technology and chief information security officer. Huss joined the company in 2016 as senior IT executive director – infrastructure and operations. He was promoted to assistant vice president – IT and chief security officer in 2017. Huss earned a bachelor’s degree in communication and human resource management from University of Wisconsin Whitewater. He holds Certified Internal Security Assessor (ISA) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) designations.Guy Russ has been promoted to vice president – innovation and data. Russ has been with Church Mutual for the last 10 years and joined as director – OCNS program management in Administration. He was promoted to senior information technology executive manager – architecture and administration in 2014 and assistant vice president – Information Technology in 2016. He assumed the role of assistant vice president – Risk Control in 2018. Russ holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Carroll College (now Carroll University) in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and a master’s in business administration from Marquette University in Milwaukee. He holds many industry designations including Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and the Associate in Risk Management (ARM).Eric Spacek has been promoted to assistant vice president – Risk Control. He has more than 15 years of insurance risk control experience and joined Church Mutual in 2020 as Risk Control program manager. Spacek holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Eastern University in St. David’s, Pennsylvania, and a juris doctor degree from American University in Washington, D.C. He also holds the ARM designation and has received the Cambridge Certificate in Risk Management for Churches and Schools.Penny Fons has been promoted to assistant vice president – Claims. Fons has more than 20 years of experience in the commercial claims environment. She joined Church Mutual in 2017 as Claims operations manager. In 2018, she was promoted to director – Claims operations. Fons holds a bachelor’s degree in natural resource management from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.About Church MutualChurch Mutual Insurance Company, S.I., founded in 1897, offers specialized insurance for religious organizations of all denominations, public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, senior living facilities, secular and non-secular camps and conference centers, and nonprofit and human services organizations throughout the United States. Church Mutual markets most lines of commercial property and liability insurance, including multi-peril, workers' compensation and commercial auto insurance. In addition to insurance, Church Mutual provides a spectrum of value-added solutions that benefit its customers. Church Mutual holds the following honors: A.M. Best Company "A" (excellent) ratingWisconsin 75 Top Private Company by Deloitte US, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021Wisconsin 75 Distinguished Performer: Innovation by Deloitte US 2019 2021 Gallup Culture Transformation Award recipient2020 Women and Diversity Award recipient from the American Property Casualty Insurance AssociationFuturemakers Partner by Wisconsin Technical College SystemCelent Model Insurer for innovation and emerging technologiesAward in Innovation for entrepreneurialism and innovation by National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies2018-2019 Employer of the Year by Northcentral Technical College# # #1Church Mutual is a stock insurer whose policyholders are members of the parent mutual holding company formed on 1/1/20. S.I. = a stock insurer.
1 min
As we look to a new year, Guy Russ, vice president innovation and data, has outlined four trends we will see in 2022.
1. Safely reopening doors to communities
2. Best practices for church leaders to most safely hold in-person worship services
3. Unique challenges schools, camps and non-profits leaders face in their pandemic response strategies
1. Trainings and best practices for houses of worship, schools and nonprofits
1. Houses of worship and schools take different approaches for armed intruder protection.
1. What can they do to be best prepared
1. Wildfire, cold weather, flood and hurricane protection best practices for houses of worship, schools and nonprofits
2. Innovations in insurance including leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence and computer vision to prevent and mitigate risks.
MBA
Management, Leadership
2000
BS
Finance
1995
Minors in Management Information Systems (MIS) and Economics
December 2018
March 2018
USA Today online
2019-11-21
Guy Russ, head of armed-intruder prevention at Church Mutual Insurance, puts it in starker terms: “The thing to realize is it could mean that the person manning the metal detector is the first one to get shot,’’ he said.
The Daily Herald online
2019-10-08
“We began by looking for opportunities to mitigate losses, which is where CM Sensor and the CM Wildfire Solutions programs came from,” said Guy Russ, assistant vice president – Risk Control. “As we matured our innovation mentality, we launched the Disruption Lab, allowing all employees the opportunity to bring forth new ideas to help grow our organization.”
Sun ThisWeek online
2019-05-16
“It’s not a topic you’d want to be talking about, but it is one that houses of worship and schools, really anywhere that people congregate, need to be thinking about,” said Guy Russ, assistant vice president of risk control for the Merrill, Wisconsin-based company.
Chicago Tribune online
2018-09-13
“It is absolutely important for churches and religious organizations in general to get this training,” Russ said. “They represent a concentration of people in a certain space at a certain time, and as a result that creates a target.”
Business Wire online
2018-06-20
Guy Russ has been named assistant vice president of risk control for Church Mutual Insurance Company, reporting to Kevin Root, executive vice president - operations. In his new position, Russ will leverage his leadership experience and customer focus to continue to grow risk control services, providing solutions for customers while mitigating risk for Church Mutual.
