10 Things You Didn’t Know about Liberty Mutual CEO David Long

You have probably seen the endless commercials for Liberty Mutual Insurance. They are on TV on a regular basis. You might even have insurance through this company yourself. However, there’s a decent chance that you’re really not all that familiar with the person that’s in charge of running the company, its Chief Executive Officer, David H. Long. Below are several things that you might not already know about Long, and you might find some of them rather surprising.

1. He holds dual citizenship

He holds both American and British citizenship. He was actually born in Liverpool, England in 1961. While he’s always been proud of his British citizenship, he eventually decided to get his American citizenship as well, especially since he was spending most of his time working in the United States.

2. He’s worked for the company for more than 30 years

He went to work for the company in 1985, at just 24 years old. He’s worked for them ever since, holding different positions and working in different departments. Eventually, he worked his way up the ladder to become the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. This is a position that he has held for several years now.

3. He went to college for a degree in math

When he graduated from high school, he attended Hartwick College and got a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Many people thought at the time that he would go on to some type of engineering career but as it turns out, he wanted a degree in math so he could be more adept at handling finances for large companies.

4. He eventually went on to get an MBA

Almost as soon as he finished his first degree, he went to Boston College and achieved an MBA in finance. This set the stage for his career at Liberty Mutual, one which he embarked on almost directly out of college. One thing is certain, he had a vision for his career and he wasn’t about to let anything deter him.

5. He makes more money in a single year than most people making a lifetime

It isn’t uncommon for Long to make almost 20 million dollars in a single year. That’s a staggering amount of money, and for the overwhelming majority of individuals that have policies with Liberty Mutual, it’s far more money than they will ever make in a lifetime, not to mention in a mere 12 months.

6. He’s not afraid to spend money, either

A few years ago, he decided he wanted to renovate his office in Boston and spent more than four and a half million dollars in order to do it. For most people, it’s unfathomable to figure out how a person could possibly spend that much money on a single office but he found a way to do it. This is something that was widely publicized and it made a lot of people start to wonder how much cheaper their insurance premiums could be if so much money wasn’t wasted on lavish things that weren’t necessary.

7. He’s been involved in several mergers and acquisitions

He may command a big salary and spend a lot of money, but he’s also made plenty of money for Liberty Mutual. At one point, he was the head of the Mergers and Acquisitions department and during that time, he acquired no less than four other companies that were eventually absorbed into Liberty Mutual.

8. Many people think he’s out of touch

He might be excellent in the realm of business, but when it comes to real life, a lot of people think that he’s out of touch because he makes so much money that he can’t possibly begin to understand what his own policyholders are going through. It’s hard to argue this fact, but it’s also worth mentioning that virtually every other CEO makes a similar salary. Perhaps the problem is more directly related to the culture of big business.

9. He’s used to being in charge

Even though he’s worked his way up through the ranks at the company, he’s almost always been in charge of one department or another. As such, he’s become very accustomed to being in charge and by all accounts, he likes to be in control.

10. He’s served on a presidential committee

When President Obama was in office, he appointed Long to serve on an insurance committee that was designed to bring that particular industry more in line with what consumers needed.