Her Story
About Kelly
Kelly Allard is an experienced Underwriting Specialist with nearly 17 years of service at Auto-Owners Insurance. Throughout her career in Personal Lines underwriting, she has developed deep expertise in evaluating insurance eligibility, reviewing policy details, and collaborating closely with agency partners to make informed, accurate underwriting decisions. Her experience also includes two years specializing in yacht insurance and four years working with high-value home underwriting, further strengthening her ability to assess complex personal risk profiles. In her role, Kelly is responsible for making critical underwriting decisions that directly impact policy eligibility. She approaches each file and every agent interaction with care, attention to detail, and a strong sense of accountability. She recognizes the weight of her responsibility in determining whether coverage can be offered, and she takes a thoughtful, case-by-case approach—listening carefully, reviewing all angles, and ensuring that each decision is made fairly and meticulously. As both an underwriter and a policyholder herself, she brings empathy and perspective to every determination she makes. Outside of work, she enjoys painting pottery, spending quality time with her son, watching movies, and exploring her interest in true crime. Kelly takes great pride in her long-standing career with Auto-Owners Insurance, a company known for its stability, strong values, and commitment to internal growth. She values working for an organization that promotes from within and has a longstanding history of employee loyalty and leadership development. Her professional principles closely align with some of the company’s core values of honesty, integrity, and dependability, which have been central to her career satisfaction and longevity.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kelly
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being honest and genuine. I'm a very genuine and honest person to begin with. and it's not in my nature to lie. I feel that possessing these qualities has really helped me, because I'm not pretending to be someone that I'm not. My whole journey is just based off of who I am as a person, and the qualities I bring to the table. I love my job, I love my company. There are other insurance companies that might pay more money for the position that I hold, but I choose to stay at my company because there are many benefits for my company versus just going somewhere else for a higher pay. I'm not willing to sacrifice the things that my company offers just to get a bigger paycheck. So I feel all of those things combined has really helped me on my journey and to stay where I'm at and to earn the respect and the responsibilities for the past almost 17 years. We have 10 core values where I work, and the number one core value is honesty, and that aligns perfectly with who I am. I won't work for a company or do a job that doesn't align with my core values.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received was simple: “Go apply and see what happens.” At the time, I did not fully realize the impact those words would have on my future, but they encouraged me to take a chance on an opportunity that ultimately shaped my career. Looking back, that decision led me to where I am today 17 years later with a long and fulfilling career built on growth, experience, and continuous learning.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Believe in yourself, make sure the company you choose to work for has the same values as you do. I had a job many years ago, not in insurance, that I left because I didn't agree with some of the things that that employer wanted to do. I just didn't feel comfortable because it didn't align with me, so I left the job. I'm proud that we have core values, I'm proud that we live by the core values, and the core values for our company, a lot of them are my core values, so I align really well with the company in that aspect.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
There are so many opportunities in the insurance industry. There's underwriting, actuarial, life, bonds, and and so much more. There's a lot of different departments that make an insurance company run. Some of the challenges are the fluctuation of the market. We have a soft market, where rates are pretty standard and then we have a hard market, which forces our rates to be somewhat higher than typical.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, integrity, and loyalty are the most important values to me. I know with every policy I review and every phone call that I take from my agents, I am essentially holding someone's insurance life in my hands, and that's a lot of power. Therefore, I do everything that I can to ensure that every avenue has been researched to verify I am making the correct decisions. I also value these same qualities in my personal life. My friends and family know who I am and what I stand for and I don't think you can ask for anything more than that.
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