President and CEO
CSAA Insurance Group
Paula Downey is president and CEO of CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer. She joined the company and its AAA club affiliate, AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, as CFO in 2000. She was promoted to COO in 2003, president in 2005, and president and CEO in 2010, becoming the first female president and CEO in that AAA club’s more than 100-year history. Her priority is doing her job “in the best possible way” and helping others in the process. In just five years, Downey and her team have transformed underlying core systems to develop new capabilities while growing premiums, reducing expenses and improving customer satisfaction. This business transformation promotes a “culture of insight and innovation,” which she treasures and safeguards, especially as the insurance industry faces disruption.
Downey shared with IBA how her background and experiences developed her leadership skills: “As one of eight children, I learned to value different opinions early in life and have surrounded myself with people who have and feel free to share their unique perspectives. I am near-sighted in one eye and far-sighted in the other – a good metaphor for my leadership style, which combines both strategic vision and pragmatic execution. And I learned the value of diversity from my father, who taught me that practicing humanity is also good for business.”
