Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation has named Chris Taylor (pictured) president and chief executive officer of its Independent Agency Group, effective October 12, 2026.
Taylor joins from The Hanover Insurance Group, where he served as vice president and head of state management with P&L responsibility across auto, home and ancillary personal lines.
The appointment represents a return to Plymouth Rock: Taylor previously worked at the company and helped lead its entry into the New York and Pennsylvania auto insurance markets through the independent agency channel before moving to The Hanover.
Jim Stone, Plymouth Rock's founder and chairman, said the hire reflects the company's commitment to the independent agency channel specifically.
"Independent agents have always been central to Plymouth Rock's business, and Chris understands firsthand what it takes to build the strong, lasting partnerships that our business requires," Stone said.
Taylor said his career has been shaped by the agency channel throughout.
"Independent agents have been central to my career and to my view of how insurance is best delivered. Agents know their clients, understand their communities and bring a level of personal guidance that is incredibly valuable to insurance shoppers. I'm excited to return to Plymouth Rock to work alongside a strong team and our agent partners, building on that strength and creating new opportunities to grow together," Taylor said.
At The Hanover, Taylor built and strengthened independent agency relationships, expanded the company's portfolio and led profitable countrywide personal lines growth. He also helped bring several new products to market, including a high-net-worth offering, giving him direct experience in the specialty personal lines segment that Plymouth Rock has also pursued.
Before The Hanover, his earlier roles at Plymouth Rock involved channel development specifically through the independent agency model, and he began his insurance career in product management at The Hartford.
For independent agents currently appointed with Plymouth Rock, Taylor's return is notable on two counts.
First, he has direct, prior experience building the company's agency relationships in specific state markets, meaning he is not learning Plymouth Rock's model from scratch but returning with both institutional knowledge and a decade of additional personal lines leadership experience from a direct competitor.
Second, his emphasis on partnership language in both Stone's and his own remarks, alongside the specific mention of creating new opportunities to grow together, suggests agents may want to reach out early in his tenure to understand whether any changes to appetite, product or partnership structure are planned under new leadership.
