Elephant Auto Insurance CEO: Happy Employees Are Better Employees

Elephant Auto Insurance CEO Kevin Chidwick did not take the direct route to the C-suite.

A product of a working-class background in Portsmouth, England, Chidwick’s early years included jobs as a garbage collector, a toilet cleaner and cement mixing bowl scraper, among other non-executive level positions.

After training as an accountant and taking a mentor’s advice to seek an MBA, Chidwick eventually joined the insurance conglomerate Admiral Group plc, and was named CFO of the company a year after joining.

Now, as CEO of the Virginia-based Admiral subsidiary Elephant Auto Insurance, Chidwick leads a fast-growing, direct-to-consumer business with plans for continued disruption in the market.

Chidwick recently came to the University of Virginia Darden School of Business as part of the Leadership Speaker Series, telling students his simple but effective leadership rules and why he always tries to ensure that his employees are enjoying their work.