Legends of insurance: Video interview with Maurice “Hank” Greenberg (PropertyCasualty360)

June 19, 2012 at 05:56 AM
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As CEO of AIG for 37 years, it's tough to match the legendary status of Maurice "Hank" Greenberg. "Aig was not for everybody," Greenberg said. "If you came from a very passive company you'd feel out of place in Aig. There was a spirit and a culture that was a winning culture. You attracted people who shared the same values, and the people who didn't have those values wouldn't last." Under his watch, AIG's market value increased 700-fold. "We were not afraid to do something because there might be a loss; we went to something because we thought there might be a profit," he said. "That doesn't mean we weren't diligent in doing what we were going to do. We did a lot of homework on product innovation." In summing up the company's culture, Greenberg said, "We had a great slogan: The biggest risk is not taking one."