Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. of Iowa announced that Ronald Rutledge (left) will retire from his position as president and CEO effective Dec. 30. Rutledge has led the national farm insurance company since January 2011, and has worked at the company for 40 years. He will remain in his role as chairman of the company’s board of directors and continue serving on his current industry board seats. He will be succeeded by his nephew Shannon Rutledge (right), who is currently executive vice president and chief operating officer, as well as secretary and member of the company’s board of directors. “Under Ron’s leadership, FMH has experienced unprecedented growth and innovation,” Shannon Rutledge said in a news release. The company added a property/casualty division in 2011 and grew from a regional crop insurance provider to a national crop insurance provider after the acquisition of John Deere Insurance Co. FMH also developed FMH Precision Crop Insurance Solutions during his tenure and now leads the industry in enhancing crop insurance with more accurate coverage and faster claims using precision ag data, Shannon Rutledge said. Over the past decade, Farmers Mutual Hail’s written premium has doubled from $500 million to over $1 billion, and surplus has similarly grown from $300 million to $450 million.