Associate Spotlight: Claims Investigator

“To come in every day and see people who are happy, smiling and enjoying their job… that’s rewarding for me.”

Mike is a claims investigator in the Special Investigations Unit here at Auto-Owners. He began his career as a police officer and later became a detective. He’s seen a lot in his time on the force and has investigated everything from homicide and robbery to auto theft and sexual assault.

Q: Tell us a little bit about what made you want to work with Auto-Owners.

“My story is unique. I was a police officer for 25 years, until I retired in 2016. Being young enough, I needed another career path. I wanted to get back into some sort of investigations and I’d always heard good things about Auto-Owners. Although I was investigating something completely different, what’s funny is a lot of the things I did as a detective go hand-in-hand with the work I do here. It was a good transformation for me and it made sense.”

Q: What do you like most about working with the Special Investigations Unit?

“When I came here, I didn’t know anything about insurance but I knew how to investigate. Auto-Owners has allowed me to learn new skills, which has given me a renewed interest in my career.”

Q: What advice would you give to someone looking into a career in the Special Investigations Unit?

“Really, the one thing that has helped me the most is interviewing. Since I was 21 years old I’ve talked to people. I’ve interviewed people on any major crimes you can possibly think of: homicide, armed robbery, burglary, etc. So when I came in, my specialty was interviews. I mean, you’ve got to be able to talk to people and ask the right questions.”

Q: What makes for a good day at the office?

“The best day for me is coming in here and developing good relationships and having fun. I have fun with the people I work with. I have fun meeting new people. To me, that’s what makes my day. I get to meet people from all over. What’s really rewarding for me is developing relationships with my claim reps and the people that I work with here at Auto-Owners.”

Learn more about Auto-Owners Insurance claims investigation career opportunities.