2021 Women to Watch Awards Americas EMEA
Adele Hapworth CEO
American Equity Underwriters Inc.
Mobile, Alabama
For Adele Hapworth, the past few months of being CEO at American Equity Underwriters Inc. have been about managing change.
Previously, she was chief operating officer of the specialty workers compensation unit of Amwins Group Inc., and the company’s succession plan had been for her to step into the top leadership role, but the timeline changed as CEO and founder Mike Lapeyrouse lost his battle with cancer in August.
Ms. Hapworth, who joined the company in 2007 after working for a brokerage, took the helm in June as Mr. Lapeyrouse transitioned to chairman.
“Although it was a great honor, the circumstances were difficult,” Ms. Hapworth said. “He was the founder of our company and obviously a big influence on many people. Mike did an amazing job of creating a family environment, and a lot of employees have been here a long time and had known him.”
She said she would maintain the familial environment built by the founder while moving forward as herself. “Taking over that role and making sure we remain family oriented is important, but he had his own presence and you can’t exactly fill someone’s shoes. You are your own person.”
The transition itself — building the company’s new leadership, working with the board, managing culture — would be an undertaking on its own, but American Equity and the broader economy are also trying to emerge from the pandemic, she said.
“There’s a lot of change happening,” she said.
“Adele is extremely bright, organized and personable. She has been a great leader for our firm, and she is liked and respected by co-workers and clients,” said Skip Cooper, vice chair at Amwins.
Ms. Hapworth said she has been very fortunate in her career to work with people with whom she never felt any gender issues but realizes this is not the case for every woman. “We have not arrived and, until we do, we have to find opportunities to promote moving people along to get to where we’re all on the same page and we’re all seen the same.”
