Our Leadership

Gregory E. Murphy

Gregory E. Murphy is Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Selective Insurance Group, Inc. He led the company’s strategic growth to become a super-regional property casualty insurance provider that offers commercial, personal, flood and excess and surplus insurance across select regions in the U.S. Selective has been rated “A” (Excellent) or better for more than 85 years by A.M. Best. 

During his 40-year tenure at Selective, Mr. Murphy accumulated broad experience in all aspects of finance and operations through positions of increasing seniority. Mr. Murphy joined Selective in 1980 as a member of the Finance department. He became Senior Vice President, Finance in 1994, Chief Financial Officer in 1995, and President and Chief Operating Officer in 1997. Two years later, Mr. Murphy was named President and Chief Executive Officer, and in 2000, he assumed the role of Chairman. In 2013, he transitioned to Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. In February 2020, he assumed his current role.

Ainar D. Aijala, Jr.

Ainar D. Aijala, Jr. has served as an Independent Director since September 2020.

Mr. Aijala most recently served as Senior Advisor to the Global CEO at the global professional services firm Deloitte, before retiring in May of 2020. He spent nearly 40 years at Deloitte and its predecessor company, working in a variety of positions, including Chief Global Corporate Development Officer and Global Managing Partner of Consulting and Human Capital. He began his career as a senior manager at Coopers & Lybrand Consulting. He is an Enrolled Actuary pursuant to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

Mr. Aijala is a board member of Junior Achievement Worldwide and Junior Achievement USA, and he is a past Chairman of Junior Achievement Worldwide.

John C. Burville, Ph.D, FIA, MAAA

John C. Burville has served as an Independent Director since 2006.

Mr. Burville was an insurance consultant to the Bermuda Government and a member of the Bermuda Insurance Advisory Committee. Previously, he was Chief Actuary and Senior Rating Agency Manager of ACE Limited. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Terrence W. Cavanaugh

Mr. Cavanaugh served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Erie Indemnity Company from 2008 until his retirement in 2016. He previously was with the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies for over 30 years and held a series of roles with increasing responsibilities, including corporate Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Chubb Surety & Trade Credit. Mr. Cavanaugh is the founding partner of Accretive Consulting LLC and a board member of Highmark Health.

Wole C. Coaxum

Wole C. Coaxum has served as an Independent Director since September 2020.

Mr. Coaxum is the president and chief executive officer of Mobility Capital Finance (MoCaFi), a New York-based digital banking platform that he founded in 2015. Previously, Mr. Coaxum served as a Managing Director at JPMorgan, which he joined in 2007 and was responsible for commercial credit card sales and relationship management. He has had a nearly 30-year-long career in the financial and insurance industries, spending the first decade of his career at Citigroup and then holding executive positions for five years at the insurance multinational Willis Group Holdings in its North America division.

R. Kelly Doherty

R. Kelly Doherty has served as an Independent Director since 2015.

Mr. Doherty is Managing Partner and founder of Caymen Advisors and Caymen Partners. Previously, he was Vice Chairman of Bankers Trust Company and Bankers Trust New York Corporation, where he served on the management committee and, for over 16 years, held various positions across its global trading and investment operations.

Mr. Doherty is Lead Director of Harding Loevner Funds, Inc. He was a Director of Cyota, Inc., serving as Non-Executive Chairman.

John J. Marchioni

John J. Marchioni is President and Chief Executive Officer of Selective Insurance Group, Inc.

Mr. Marchioni joined Selective in 1998 as a Government Affairs Specialist. In 2000 he was promoted to Assistant Vice President in Government Affairs, and in 2003 to Vice President, Director of Government Affairs. He was appointed Vice President and Strategic Business Unit Leader in 2004, and Senior Vice President, Director of Personal Lines and Flood in 2005. Mr. Marchioni was promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Field Operations Officer in October 2007 and President and Chief Operating Officer in 2013. He assumed his current role in February 2020.

Thomas McCarthy

Thomas A. McCarthy has served as an Independent Director since 2018.

Mr. McCarthy was an executive with CIGNA Corporation for over 30 years and held various positions over his tenure, including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Vice President, Finance, Treasurer, and Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development. Mr. McCarthy is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Rome and a Director of the Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware Counties.

Stephen Mills

Stephen Mills has served as an Independent Director since September 2020.

Mr. Mills currently serves as a member of the Mutual Fund Board of Trustees for Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based investment firm, and on the Board of Directors of Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. Mr. Mills spent nearly two decades with Madison Square Garden Sports, serving in a variety of senior positions, including President from 2017 to 2020; Executive Vice President and General Manager of its NBA franchise, the New York Knicks, from 2014 to 2017; and Chief Operating Officer and Sports Business President from 2003 to 2009. Previously, he was a partner of Athletes & Entertainers Wealth Management Group LLC from 2009 to 2013 and worked in the NBA league office in various positions for sixteen years.

Mr. Mills has served on the board of advisors for the Hospital for Special Surgery since 2011, as a director of Harlem Junior Tennis since 2017, and as a director of the Princeton University Varsity Club since 2010.

H. Elizabeth Mitchell

H. Elizabeth Mitchell has served as an Independent Director since 2018.

Ms. Mitchell was the former President, CEO, and Director of Renaissance Reinsurance U.S. Inc., and she previously held various executive positions with Platinum Reinsurance, Inc., including President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Director. Ms. Mitchell is a Director of StanCorp Financial Group, Inc., and a member of the Board of Advisors of Hudson Structured Capital Management, Ltd.

Michael J. Morrissey, CFA

Michael J. Morrissey has served as an Independent Director since 2008.

Mr. Morrissey is President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Insurance Society, Inc. He was previously Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Firemark Investments and director of CGA Group, Ltd. Mr. Morrissey is a member of the Board of Overseers at St. John's University School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science, the Association of Insurance and Financial Analysts, the New York Society of Securities Analysts, the Steering Committee of the Insurance Development Forum, and the World Economic Forum Insurance & Asset Management Council. He is also a Senior Advisor to the United Nations.

Cynthia (Cie) S. Nicholson

Cynthia S. Nicholson has served as an Independent Director since 2009.

Ms. Nicholson is an Advisor of Tangerine (formerly known as Feed Each Other/Forkcast), where she previously held the positions of Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Previously, Ms. Nicholson was the Chief Marketing Officer of Softcard^®, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Equinox Holdings, Inc., and Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Pepsi-Cola North America.

Ms. Nicholson is a member of the Advisory Board of Lavit, LLC. She previously served on the board of Heartland Consumer Products Investments Holdings and the Association of National Advertisers, and was Advisor, Principal Strategist, and Director of GamesThatGive, Inc.

Lisa Rojas Bacus

Lisa R. Bacus has served as an Independent Director since September 2020.

Ms. Bacus currently serves as a director on the corporate board of Teradata Corporation and on the board of Culver’s Franchising System Inc., a privately held fast food chain. Ms. Bacus had a 30-plus year career in corporate marketing and operations roles, which included increasingly senior positions at Ford Motor Company, American Family Mutual Insurance Company, and Cigna Corporation. She retired as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Cigna in July 2019.

Ms. Bacus also serves on the board of PetSmart Charities Inc., a non-profit organization.

William M. Rue

William M. Rue has served as a Director since 1977.

Mr. Rue is Chairman of Rue Insurance, an insurance agency. He was previously President and Executive Vice President of Rue Insurance. Mr. Rue serves as Director and Secretary of the board of 1st Constitution Bank and 1st Constitution Bancorp, and Director of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton. He is Director and President of The Rue Foundation and a Trustee of Rider University. Mr. Rue is a member of the Independent Agents & Brokers Association, the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Society, the Professional Insurance Agents Association, and the Management Committee of PL Services, LLC.

John S. Scheid

John S. Scheid has served as an Independent Director since 2014.

Mr. Scheid is the owner and sole member of Scheid Investment Group, LLC. Previously, he was a senior partner and held several leadership positions with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, including leading their Global Insurance Practice. Mr. Scheid is a Director of Extraordinary Re Holdings LTD and Extraordinary Reinsurance Bermuda. He also serves as Chairman of the Board and a Director of Messmer Catholic Schools, a member of the Finance Council for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, an Emeritus Director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Foundation, a member of the Golden Angels Investment Group LLC, and on the Investment Committee of the Marquette University High School Foundation. Mr. Scheid was previously on the Board of Governors and served as the Audit Committee Chair of Junior Achievement Worldwide and was Chair of the Wisconsin Accounting Examining Board.

J. Brian Thebault

J. Brian Thebault has served as an Independent Director since 1996 and as Lead Independent Director since 2017.

Mr. Thebault is a partner at Thebault Associates. He was Chairman of Earth-Thebault and held the positions of President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of L.P. Thebault Company. He serves as a Director of Curex Group Holdings LLC. He was a Trustee of The Peck School and The Delbarton School.

Philip H. Urban

Philip H. Urban has served as an Independent Director since 2014.

Mr. Urban was President and Chief Executive Officer of Grange Insurance. Previously, he was President, Personal Lines of Guaranty National Insurance Company, Senior Vice President of Great American Insurance Company, Chairman of Integrity Insurance, and Chairman of The Grange Bank. He is a Director of The Jeffrey Company.