COLUMBUS, Ohio – Damon Porter has accepted the position of vice president, chief human resources officer, at Grange Insurance, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
Porter was previously vice president, talent management and human resources business partners at Erie Insurance in Pennsylvania. In that role, he led the human resources organization in developing, implementing and administering policies, procedures and programs that met Erie Insurance's business needs and supported its corporate values. He also oversaw various other human resources functions including performance management, succession planning, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, employee engagement and Erie’s Career Development Center.
“From the very start of our search, we felt it was important to find a leader who had the right balance of strategic human resources leadership, change management experience and culture-shaping knowledge to support our enterprise strategy,” said Doreen DeLaney Crawley, Grange Insurance chief operations officer. “With Damon, we are confident that we have found the right balance and we look forward to welcoming him to Grange.”
Prior to Erie, Porter held various leadership positions, including vice president of corporate human resources at Duke Energy in Charlotte, North Carolina. At Duke, Porter was responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of human resource services, products and practices to the company’s corporate divisions. Prior to that, he was managing director of human resources, financials, analytics and compliance. In that role, he also created and managed a successful enterprise-wide co-op program that focused on attracting students from STEM disciplines.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Porter earned an MBA from the University of Kentucky, where he also graduated magna cum laude with bachelor degrees in both business management and marketing. He later completed the executive strategic leadership program at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business. Currently, he is a member of the Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
Additionally, Porter serves on the board of directors for H.A.N.D.S. (Housing and Neighborhood Development Services), a private, non-profit organization which prides itself on “making stronger, more vibrant neighborhoods” in and around Erie, Pennsylvania. He also serves on the board of directors for Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) of Erie, which is a youth development and education program with a mission of developing high school students into future leaders.
Porter will be replacing Steven Paxton, former vice president of human resources, who is retiring from Grange Insurance after more than 16 years of service.
About Grange
Grange Insurance, with $3 billion in assets and more than $1.2 billion in annual revenue, is an insurance provider founded in 1935 and based in Columbus, Ohio. Through its network of independent agents, Grange offers auto, home, life and business insurance protection. The company and its affiliates serve policyholders in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.