William Clawson

Chief Human Resources Officer Progressive

Last Reviewed: October 3, 2026

Executive Summary

William Clawson has been Chief Human Resources Officer of Progressive since late 2021. He is responsible for identifying, developing and implementing the policies and programs that apply to all of the insurer’s employees. Clawson joined Progressive in 2004 in personal lines after working at McKinsey & Company and Procter & Gamble. He held customer acquisition roles in which the company says he helped it enter the home insurance business and build multi-product quoting, then managed the auto business in several states. He moved to human resources as business leader for compensation and benefits. Progressive credits him as a founding member of its African American employee network and with helping to establish a multicultural leadership development program.

Career Highlights

• Chief Human Resources Officer of Progressive since late 2021.
• Business Leader for Compensation and Benefits before that.
• Helped Progressive enter home insurance and build multi-product quoting in customer acquisition roles.
• Founding member of the Progressive African American Network employee resource group.
• Earlier at McKinsey & Company and Procter & Gamble.

Professional Journey

Clawson holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and an MBA from Harvard Business School, according to Progressive. Before joining the insurer he worked at McKinsey & Company and Procter & Gamble.

He joined Progressive in 2004 in the personal lines organization and held numerous roles in customer acquisition. The company credits him with a central part in its entry into home insurance and in building multi-product quoting, which it says made Progressive the top online seller of home insurance. He then moved into a product role managing the auto business in several states.

He later became business leader for compensation and benefits in human resources, and in late 2021 was named chief human resources officer. In that role he is responsible for organization-wide policies and programs that align with business objectives for all of Progressive’s employees.

Progressive says he was a founding member of the Progressive African American Network employee resource group and helped establish its Multicultural Leadership Development Program. 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. Clawson has represented human resources on it since 2021, after nearly two decades in the company’s personal lines and compensation functions.

Education

Harvard Business School

MBA

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Bachelor’s degree, Economics