Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa announced that Shannon Rutledge, executive vice president and chief operating officer, will be promoted to president and chief executive officer, effective Dec. 31. He will succeed Ronald Rutledge, who will retire Dec. 30 from the West Des Moines-based family-owned company.  Shannon Rutledge, a nephew of Ron Rutledge, also serves as a director on the company’s board of directors. In his 27 years at FMH, Shannon Rutledge has held roles of increasing responsibility involving all FMH divisions, from adjusting crop hail losses in the field to working with international reinsurance partners, allowing him to develop a broad range of experience. He has held his current role leading the company’s crop insurance division since 2015. Several of his significant accomplishments include overseeing the integration of the John Deere Insurance Co. acquisition, and the addition and growth of FMH Precision Crop Insurance Solutions. Under his leadership, Crop Insurance revenue also grew substantially, reaching $1 billion in written premium this past year – a milestone in the company’s 128-year history. “Shannon brings a proven track record of implementing innovative strategies for FMH and a commitment to data-driven decisions to his role as a leader,” Ron Rutledge said in a press release. “His unique range of experience and focus on the future of insurance has made him a valuable voice in the industry.”