5 Questions With Dewar’s Dana Tufts

In our latest installment of our “5 Questions With” Spotlight series, get to know more about Dana Tufts, President of Dewar.

1. What was your first insurance job?
   I was a trainee for Dewar in 1978. At that time I was handling anything from shipping and ordering to underwriting and claims training.
2. What experiences growing up do you think best prepared you for a leadership role?
   I am going to have to cite my parents, who were very strong but caring. I had great motivation to live up to their expectations of me. Additionally, I was very observant of how my dad carried himself. He was a great people person. Just watching and learning from him was invaluable to me in my career, especially in leadership.
3. What is your proudest professional moment?
   At Dewar, we thankfully don’t often have to deal with catastrophic events. However, there have been a few that impacted us – Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 to name two. Being able to respond to the losses caused to families and schools by these two terrible events was extraordinary. Being able to help people in their time of need, to make a difference in their lives and to be able to really prove the worth and value of insurance was a rewarding experience.
4. What is your favorite book or the last book you read?
   I am currently reading “The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism,” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The book is almost 1,000 pages; it’s going to take me all summer!
5. What advice would you have for someone entering the business?
   A lot of people have a negative association with insurance and I would tell people just starting out in the business not to be dissuaded. When you drill down, particularly in specialty coverage, you will find a need for a wealth of information and knowledge and that provides an exciting platform to motivate and excel. To insure a business you have to know everything about that business, so you really get to learn a lot.