Our Leadership

John J. Marchioni

John J. Marchioni is Chairman of the Board, 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 2007 and President and Chief Operating Officer in 2013. He was President and Chief Executive Officer from February 2020 until May 3, 2022, when John assumed his current role.

Ainar D. Aijala, Jr.

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

Mr. Aijala most recently served as Senior Advisor to the Global CEO at 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 an Ocean Ridge (FL) Town Commissioner and Emeritus Governor of Junior Achievement Worldwide, having previously served as a board member of Junior Achievement Worldwide and Junior Achievement USA, and Chairman of Junior Achievement Worldwide. He was formerly on the Board of Managers at DLED, Inc.

Lisa Rojas Bacus

Lisa Rojas Bacus has served as an Independent Director since 2020.

Ms. Bacus was previously Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer for Cigna Corporation and Executive Vice President and Chief Marketer of American Family Insurance Group. She was also an Executive Director, Global Marketing Strategy and held other senior positions at Ford Motor Company.

Ms. Bacus currently serves as a Board member of Teradata Corporation, Culver’s Franchising System Inc., Douglas Dynamics, Inc., and PetSmart Charities Inc. She is a member of Latino Corporate Directors Association and Prospanica.

Terrence W. Cavanaugh

Terrence W. Cavanaugh has served as an Independent Director since 2018.

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. He is a board member of Highmark Health and on the Board of Commissioners of Naples Airport Authority.

Wole C. Coaxum

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

Mr. Coaxum is the founder, chief executive officer, and a director of Mobility Capital Finance (MoCaFi), a New York-based digital banking platform. Previously, he served as a Managing Director at JPMorgan, which he joined in 2007 and was responsible for commercial credit card sales and relationship management. Mr. Coaxum 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.

Mr. Coaxum is a director of Tech:NYC. He was previously a trustee of Phillips Exeter Academy and Director and Board Treasurer of Roosevelt Institute.

R. Kelly Doherty

R. Kelly Doherty has served as an Independent Director since 2015 and Lead Independent Director since May 2022.

Mr. Doherty is Managing Partner of 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 and Audit Committee member of Harding Loevner Funds, Inc. He was a Director of Cyota, Inc., serving as Non-Executive Chairman.

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 Director of Privia Health, a member of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Rome, and a Director of the Avenue of the Arts. He previously served on the Board of Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware Counties.

Stephen Mills

Stephen Mills has served as an Independent Director since 2020.

Mr. Mills served as President and General Manager of the New York Knicks from 2013 to 2020. He previously was President and Chief Operating Officer of MSG Sports as well as Executive Vice President, Franchise Operations of the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden (MSG). Mr. Mills was a founding partner and Chief Executive Officer of Athletes & Entertainers Wealth Management Group LLC from 2010 to 2013 and worked in the NBA league office in various positions for sixteen years.

Mr. Mills currently serves on the Boards of Project Level, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp, and AMC Networks. He is a director of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, and on the advisory board of the Hospital for Special Surgery. Mr. Mills previously served as the Lead Independent Trustee of Ariel Investments and a director of MSG Networks.

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 and Audit Committee member of Principal Financial Group and Enact Holdings, Inc. She previously was an advisor of Hudson Structured Capital Management, Ltd.

Cynthia (Cie) S. Nicholson

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

Ms. Nicholson is a managing member of Band of Sisters, LLC and an advisor of Tangelo (formerly known as Tangerine/Feed Each Other/Forkcast), where she was formerly 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 previously served on the board of Heartland Consumer Products Investments Holdings and the Association of National Advertisers. She was also an advisor for Yext, Inc., GamesThatGive, Inc., and Lavit, LLC.

Kate Sampson

Kate Sampson has served as an Independent Director since July 2024.

Ms. Sampson is the Founder of Merinn Advisors LLC. She previously served as a partner and managing director of Anthemis Group and Vice President, Risk Solutions of Lyft Inc. Earlier in her career, Ms. Sampson held various senior leadership roles at Marsh McLennan, ultimately becoming head of the San Francisco/San Jose office.

Ms. Sampson is a Duke University FinTech Advisory Board Member and advises technology companies, such as REIN, Vouch Insurance, Parkade, and Passerine Technologies (DBA Packsmith).

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 Groupware Technologies Holdings Inc., Sprecher Brewing Company, and Catholic Relief Services, for which he is Chairperson of their Audit and Risk Committee. He also serves as Chair of the Finance Council for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, an Emeritus Director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Foundation, and a member of the Golden Angels Investment Group LLC. Mr. Scheid was previously a Director of Extraordinary Re Holdings LTD and Extraordinary Reinsurance Bermuda, Chairman of the Board and a Director of Messmer Catholic Schools, on the Board of Governors and served as the Audit Committee Chair of Junior Achievement Worldwide, on the Investment Committee of the Marquette University High School Foundation and was Chairman of the Wisconsin Accounting Examining Board.

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 the Lead Director of The Jeffrey Company, and Chair of their Management Oversight & Compensation Committee.