The Main Street America Group, a super-regional property/casualty insurance company, has announced the promotions of Jeff Kusch and Chris Listau to president roles of their respective divisions. Kusch, president of field operations, and Listau, president of Main Street America’s insurance operations, will both remain based at the company’s home office in Jacksonville, Fla., and report to CEO Tom Van Berkel.

“This organizational alignment enables Jeff and Chris to focus on our day-to-day operations, as well as the long-term strategies of our operating units,” Van Berkel said. “A key objective of our recent merger with American Family Insurance is to collaborate to identify mutually beneficial mergers and acquisitions opportunities to achieve Main Street America’s vision of becoming the industry’s best independent agency company. Identifying merger and acquisition targets and other growth opportunities within the independent agency channel will be one of my primary focus areas in 2019 and beyond.”

Jeff Kusch, President of Field Operations
As the president of field operations, Kusch will continue to oversee Main Street America’s field sales function, as well as assumed reinsurance and bonds.

Following Austin Mutual Insurance Company’s affiliation with Main Street America in 2012, Kusch became the company’s Western Region president, a role he held until his appointment in 2015 as senior vice president of field operations. In 2017, Kusch was promoted to executive vice president of insurance operations. Kusch transitioned to the role of executive vice president of field operations in 2018.

Kusch joined Austin Mutual in 1992 as an accounting manager. His leadership roles at Austin Mutual included treasurer, secretary, president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board. Prior to joining Austin Mutual, Kusch was a member of the senior audit staff at Coopers & Lybrand LLP.

Kusch earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Winona State University, Winona, Minn. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Chris Listau, President of Insurance Operations
In his role as president of insurance operations, Listau will be responsible for the company’s commercial and personal lines product areas; and information technology, claims/integrated customer solutions, and business technology operations functions, as well as human resources and strategic planning/governance.

Listau joined Main Street America in 2018 as executive vice president of insurance operations. Prior to that, he had an extensive history with American Family, serving in many key executive roles. He joined the organization in 1993 as an agent in Mora, Minn. From 1996-2002, he held several field marketing roles of increasing responsibility. He served from 2002-2007 as Iowa sales director and was appointed as central regional sales vice president in 2007. Listau was named commercial-farm/ranch vice president in 2012 and promoted to president of commercial-farm ranch in 2014.

Listau earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota Duluth.