After over 30 years with the company including more than five as president and CEO, Robert Brandon will transition on January 5, 2026, to CEO. John Foster, currently senior vice president of Insurance of Operations, will become president and join the company's board of directors. He will assume the CEO role following Brandon's retirement on July 1, 2026.
Brandon joined Penn National Insurance in 1995 as a property underwriting line of business manager and progressed through several underwriting leadership roles. He became executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2014, and president and CEO in 2020.
During his time as CEO, Brandon successfully guided the company through the pandemic and led it to several key milestones including earning an A.M. Best credit rating of A in 2023, surpassing $1 billion in annual direct premiums written in 2024, and reaching a record high surplus of $906.6 million as of September 30, 2025.
"On behalf of our board and employees, I want to congratulate and thank Bob Brandon for his steady leadership during a historically turbulent time," said Steve Swanson, chair of the board of directors for Penn National Insurance. "Despite facing a challenging market for much of his tenure, he led the company to unprecedented accomplishments, and like all good leaders, he will leave the company on stronger ground than when he arrived."
"After 43 years in this industry, I've decided it's time to start a new chapter and look forward to spending more time with my wife, children and grandchildren," said Brandon. "I've always said Penn National Insurance is a special company because of the people, and I want to share my heartfelt gratitude for the support, hard work, and accomplishments of everyone on our team and to all our agency partners. Together, we've achieved so much. With rapid changes shaping our industry, John is the right leader at the right time. He embraces change and is committed to building on our successes while charting a secure path forward. I have the utmost confidence in the future of Penn National Insurance."
Foster joined Penn National Insurance in 2006 as vice president of Personal Lines, was named vice president of Underwriting Operations in 2015, and promoted to his current role in 2020. He led the company's expansion into Minnesota and Ohio, oversaw improvements in the company's award-winning claims service, and increased the company's use of data analytics to drive profitability and growth.
Before joining Penn National Insurance, Foster held roles at Grange Mutual Insurance, Geico Direct and Erie Insurance Group. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Penn State University and an MBA from Frostburg State University. He has earned the Associate in Risk Management designation from The Institutes and completed the Insurance Executive Development Program at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.
"Penn National Insurance has always prioritized preparing the next generation of leaders, and John Foster is the latest example of pulling from our strong bench," said Swanson. "Since joining the company, John's knowledge of the industry and strategic acumen has been evident by his ability to identify and seize growth opportunities, overcome economic challenges, and find and mold talented employees. He is well respected by employees and agents, and the board looks forward to working with, and supporting John and his team as they write Penn National Insurance's next chapter."
"I'm honored to be chosen by the board to lead Penn National Insurance and humbled by their confidence in me," said Foster. "We are a business driven by relationships -- with our employees, our agents, and our policyholders -- and during my nearly 20 years at the company, no one has personified that better than Bob Brandon. I am immensely thankful for his leadership and friendship. I look forward to growing our business on the strong financial and operational foundation he established by maintaining a culture that values our employees, a mutual structure that places the interest of policyholders first, and a distribution model that provides profitable growth for us and our independent agents."
Also, effective January 5, Randal Mancini, currently vice president of Field Operations will be promoted to senior vice president of Insurance Operations. He will oversee Commercial and Personal Lines Underwriting, Field Operations, Distribution and Claims. He will join the company's executive leadership team who will all report directly to Foster.
Since joining Penn National Insurance 25 years ago, Mancini has held a number of leadership roles with the company including vice president, Commercial Lines, and regional vice president of the Harrisburg branch office. He currently manages all agency facing roles, including the company's six regional branch offices (underwriting, sales, and agency management), as well as premium audit and loss control functions. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Quinnipiac University.
About Penn National Insurance
Penn National Insurance (www.pennnationalinsurance.com), founded in 1919, in Harrisburg, Pa., helps people feel secure and makes life better when bad things happen. The company provides property-casualty insurance in 13 states, through a network of more than 1,200 independent agency operations. In 2024, the company wrote more than $1 billion in direct premiums, had $2.24 billion in total assets, maintained a $853 million policyholder surplus, and had an A.M. Best Financial Rating of A. As a mutual insurance carrier, the company operates solely in the best interest of its policyholders and received a Superior Rating for Personal Lines Claims Customer Experience from Ward's for six consecutive years.
SOURCE Penn National Insurance
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