Lori Niederst

Chief Personal Lines Officer Progressive

Last Reviewed: October 3, 2026

Executive Summary

Lori Niederst became Progressive’s Chief Personal Lines Officer in July 2026, a newly created role that brings the insurer’s Personal Lines business and its Customer Relationship Management organization under one leader. The change accompanies the planned retirement of Personal Lines President Patrick Callahan in January 2027. Niederst joined Progressive in 1997 as an analyst in corporate finance, after working as a certified public accountant. She held human resources roles in claims and in compensation and benefits, served five years as chief human resources officer and from 2021 to 2026 was president of Customer Relationship Management. She now oversees both the products customers buy and the organization that sells and services them directly.

Career Highlights

• Chief Personal Lines Officer of Progressive since July 2026, a newly created role.
• Customer Relationship Management President, 2021 to 2026.
• Chief Human Resources Officer for five years.
• Led the Compensation and Benefits group and was Senior Human Resource Business Leader in Claims.
• Joined Progressive in 1997 as a corporate finance analyst.

Professional Journey

Niederst earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Kent State University and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University, according to Progressive. Before joining the company she was a practicing certified public accountant.

She joined Progressive in 1997 as an analyst in corporate finance and held various process and operations positions. She moved into human resources, where she was senior human resource business leader in claims and led the compensation and benefits group, and then served five years as chief human resources officer.

In December 2021 she became president of Customer Relationship Management, which covers the company’s direct sales, customer service, customer experience design and in-house agency. She held the role until July 2026.

In June 2026 Progressive announced that Personal Lines President Patrick Callahan intends to retire in January 2027, and that Niederst would be promoted on 4 July 2026 to the newly created role of chief personal lines officer, overseeing both Personal Lines and Customer Relationship Management. Heather Day succeeded her as president of Customer Relationship Management. Progressive, an insurance holding company in Mayfield Village, Ohio, wrote $83.2 billion of net premiums in 2025, according to its 10-K.

Progressive’s 10-K describes a management team that supports the chief executive in overseeing the business and the corporate functions serving the whole organization: the chief financial, marketing, investment, information, human resources, strategy and legal officers, and the presidents of the personal lines, commercial lines, claims and customer relationship management groups. Niederst has served on it as human resources chief, as head of customer relationship management and now over personal lines.

Education

Case Western Reserve University

MBA

Kent State University

Bachelor’s degree, Accounting