Award-Winning Company & Strong Leadership
EG:  Crawford & Company has received a great deal of awards and accolades. What are the ones that make you most proud?    

HA: The recognition that makes me most proud is actually what you won’t find on our website. Employee awards, or awards received by our customers as a result of our services and innovations are the awards that are most meaningful to me.

EG: With Crawford & Company being the largest solution provider for claims management and business process outsourcing in the world, what are some of the risks and challenges that you are facing now that you are at the top?

HA: There are new entrants coming to market each day with great ideas and groundbreaking technologies. Industry disruption is both a challenge and an opportunity. We are constantly evaluating acquisition and partnership opportunities to stay abreast of our changing industry, while maximizing cost savings and efficiencies for our clients. Another challenge is attracting employees early in their careers. The insurance sector is a fascinating market, yet the industry is challenged by marketing our relevance to millennial job seekers.  

EG: You have obtained a B.Com from the University of Mumbai and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business; how did your academic training contribute to your ascension and pinnacle of success in business today? 

HA: I’m grateful for having a strong academic background that prepared me for life, strategic decisions and a strong work ethic. The United States and India are two of the largest democracies in the world yet growing up in India was a very different experience than growing up in America.  My academic experiences have given me a global perspective and diversity of thought that has served me well. I continue to be passionate about education, which is why my wife and I support a scholarship for two female graduate students from India to attend Duke’s MBA program every year, as well chairing the SKSVMA College of Engineering and Technology, a top 10 institution in India. 

EG: Being a five-time CEO and having managed a $2.0 billion restaurant chain, you are without a doubt a strong leader; what role does leadership play in effective board level management?

HA: It’s easy to think of leadership as top-down, hierarchical management. I agree, though, that effective leadership does need to include all levels, all directions. I stay very connected with our board and believe in open, transparent communication. I also learn from hosting employees at various levels of the organization to lunch and listening to their feedback.  Finally, I’m not afraid of friction – in fact, I encourage healthy debate among board leaders, executives and employees. I believe in listening far more than speaking. As leaders, we need little to no paranoia; we have to trust each other and build strong relationships.

Entrepreneurial Endeavours
EG: What are some of the most crucial skills that an entrepreneur should develop in order to be a strong leader for their company and achieve success?

HA: Of course, you have to know your numbers and who you are as a business to be able to carry that vision across your organization. But I also think to achieve success as a leader, you must continually learn, surround yourself with people who aren’t afraid to challenge you, and have a good sense of humor – because if you take yourself too seriously you won’t ever be able to think your way out of a tough situation. Your family and your friendships are what keep you steady throughout the highs and lows of your career so maintaining those relationships should be a priority.

EG: What do you believe is the biggest challenge to running a global enterprise that companies face in this time and age, and what solutions should they look towards in order to overcome it?

HA: The current business climate demands more of us, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our Crawford team is meeting these challenges by transforming into a leaner, faster, more agile organization. Opportunities often arise during times of change, and we are ready to seize them as they emerge through avenues like Crawford Innovative Ventures, our capital investment arm. Investing in the infrastructure to make your employees successful is another strategy that we have implemented to face market challenges head on rather than being reactionary in our ever-shifting economy.

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EG: People don't often associate innovation with the insurance industry, what are the changes and innovations at Crawford that keep you energized as a leader? 

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HA: If they don’t associate innovation with insurance, they haven’t met us yet! I love being part of a team that is thinking globally and futuristically about claims management. WeGoLook, one of our businesses, is changing the landscape of claims adjustment through the gig economy model and a mobile, connected team. Contractor Connection, another of our businesses, is a unique network of contractors, vetted and overseen by a robust tracking system measuring time, costs and satisfaction. Our teams are using cutting edge technology and building services in other areas of risk that have an effect on businesses to generate positive disruptions in our marketplace.

EG: Being at the top of companies such as Little Caesars, Church’s Chicken, Friendly’s and Krystal, you have certainly demonstrated a strong knowledge in the fast-food industry; your activity in GHS Holdings have revealed your proficiency in the hospitality sector; now having brought Crawford & Company to success as the world’s largest independent claims management company, you have risen to the top of theclaims services sector. What’s the secret? 

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HA: There are more similarities than differences across these industries. My career in the food service and hospitality industries taught me valuable lessons in customer service, which is a pillar of good business and applies to all industries. Humility in serving clients is a mindset.  I believe that finding and keeping top talent bolsters a company’s success. Hire people who are better than you. There is no magic formula to success; it’s a combination of hard work, humility and putting the customer first.