Menary inducted into Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame
Jeff Menary, CEO of Grinnell Mutual, was inducted into the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame (IIHOF) in a ceremony on Oct. 8, 2024, at the Meadows Event Center in Altoona, Iowa.
More than 50 Grinnell Mutual board members, senior leaders, employees, family members, and friends attended the ceremony to honor Menary. Menary was introduced by Frank Harrison, board chair and CEO of Holborn, one of Grinnell Mutual’s long-time reinsurance broker.
“I am humbled and honored to be one of this year’s Hall of Fame inductees,” Menary said. “While I am being recognized I must point out that the credit for my accomplishments, at Grinnell Mutual or in our industry, goes to all of those who helped me along my personal and professional journey. All great accomplishments belong to a team and not an individual.”
Jeff Menary joined Grinnell Mutual in 1980 and has served in leadership roles at the company for over 25 years, working his way up through the company as a marketing and reinsurance manager, director of Underwriting and Production, assistant vice president of Commercial Lines, vice president of Direct Underwriting and Production, and vice president of Reinsurance.
He was tapped to take the helm at Grinnell Mutual as president and CEO at the end of 2017, succeeding the late Larry Jansen.
In September 2017, just a few months before Jansen’s retirement, Menary became gravely ill with West Nile Virus and spent nearly seven months in the hospital and in rehabilitation.
But Menary always intended to return to Grinnell Mutual as its leader, and in June 2018, he made that happen. He has proved his mettle repeatedly as a compassionate and effective leader, steering the company through a global pandemic, historic losses from a derecho, and some of the toughest years the insurance industry has ever seen.
In January 2024, with his sights on the future of the company and an orderly succession, Menary stepped out of the president’s role but remains CEO until his retirement within the next few years.
As a staunch supporter of Grinnell Mutual’s employees, one of Menary’s proudest accomplishments is the creation of the company’s Care & Share program. Through a local 501 (c)(3), the program disburses funds to employees to help cover unexpected needs such as medical bills and emergencies. The funds come from an annual employee fundraiser and the company matches what employees contribute. Since 2018, the program has distributed nearly $400,000.
Throughout his career, Menary has been active in the insurance industry and his community, sitting on the Iowa Fair Plan Association Governing Committee since 2012; he is currently its vice chair. He is also a past chairperson of the Iowa Auto Insurance Plan. He was a director of the Poweshiek Iowa Development organization for 10 years, five as the chairperson, and is also a member of the Unity Point Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s foundation.
Menary holds a Master of Business Leadership degree from William Penn University and a bachelor’s degree from Central College. He has also earned several insurance designations including the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Certified Risk Manager (CRM), Associate in Reinsurance (ARe), and the Contractors Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS).
He lives in Grinnell, Iowa, with his wife Renee. They have two children and two grandchildren.