Company Leaders

Texas Mutual Insurance Company is led by its executive council and board of directors.

The executive council includes our president, chief operating officer and representatives from each of our divisions.

Our board of directors represents a diverse range of Texas industries and regions. The governor, with the advice and consent of the Texas Senate, appoints five of the nine directors, including the chair. Our policyholders elect the other four directors.

---

Executive council

		Russell Oliver President Russell Oliver joined Texas Mutual Insurance Company as general counsel in 1994, and the board of directors appointed him president/CEO in May 1995. He is a University of Texas Law School graduate who spent many years in private and governmental practice. He served 26 years with the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Naval Reserve, retiring as a captain.
		Ron Wright Chief Operating Officer Ron Wright's career in the insurance industry began long before he joined Texas Mutual Insurance Company in 1997. With a BS and later an MBA from the University of Memphis, he joined the Travelers Insurance claims operation division in Memphis. In 1987, he moved to Texas and became manager of Travelers' Dallas claim office. He subsequently served as vice president of field operations and senior vice president of commercial lines at Travelers, and as the senior vice president of workers' compensation for Travelers Aetna Property and Casualty Corporation.
		Mike Barron Senior Vice President Financial Services Mike Barron is a certified public accountant with over 30 years of experience in accounting and financial management. Prior to joining Texas Mutual in 2003, he spent over 18 years with Big-8 accounting and consulting firms. He also served as the CFO of a major pension fund and two state agencies. Mr. Barron is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and a graduate of the University of Texas.
		Lynette Caldwell Vice President Human Resources After graduating from the University of Texas with honors, Lynette Caldwell spent eight years in HR leadership positions at TN Technologies Inc. She joined Texas Mutual in 1999, serving as senior manager of human resources and senior manager of compensation/benefits. In June 2008, the company promoted her to vice president of human resources. She is a certified senior professional in human resources, certified Seven Habits of Highly Effective People facilitator, and former advisor/chair of the American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds Human Resources Committee.
		Lisa Corless Senior Vice President Claim and Information Services Lisa Corless is a licensed insurance adjuster with more than 17 years of insurance experience. Between 1998 and 2001, she held management positions in Texas Mutual's Dallas, Lubbock and Houston regional offices. In 2001, the company promoted her to vice president of claim operations, where she served until 2005. Ms. Corless has also served as advisor and chair of the American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds Claims and Rehabilitation Committee and chair of the American Insurance Association Workers’ Compensation Subcommittee.
		Elliott Flood Senior Vice President Internal Audit Elliott Flood is a certified public accountant, a certified internal auditor, and a certified fraud examiner. He joined Texas Mutual Insurance Company as vice president of special investigations in 1997. The board of directors appointed him senior vice president of internal audit & general auditor in 2004. Mr. Flood holds a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from Arizona State University. He has 27 years of experience in accounting, auditing and law in the insurance industry.
		Terry Frakes Senior Vice President Public Affairs Terry Frakes is a Texas Mutual® pioneer. He became the company's second employee when he came on board in 1991, and he was its first executive council member. Mr. Frakes represents the company during legislative sessions, serves as media contact, and oversees communications initiatives. His 25-year public affairs career includes stops as regional director of governmental affairs of a major national trade association, director of government affairs at the Texas Department of Insurance, and special assistant to the House Insurance Committee.
		Cecily Gallagher Senior Vice President Underwriting and Actuarial Services Cecily Gallagher oversees the company’s corporate and regional underwriting, loss prevention and marketing efforts as well as its actuarial function. Prior to joining Texas Mutual Insurance Company in 1998, she worked as a consultant and principal with Tillinghast/Towers Perrin for almost 20 years. Cecily earned a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Trinity University in San Antonio and a Master of Science in statistics from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.
		Randy Johnson Senior Vice President Investments Randy Johnson joined Texas Mutual Insurance Company in 1995. His Investments team is responsible for managing the company's $4 billion diversified investment portfolio. Mr. Johnson is a University of Texas graduate who has over 20 years of senior-level financial and management experience. He is a certified public accountant and a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Texas Society of CPAs.
		Bill McLellan Senior Vice President Information Technology Bill McLellan joined Texas Mutual Insurance Company in 2003, after spending the last five years in senior-level Information Technology (IT) positions with Motorola. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Texas. In his 25-year career, he has held senior-level IT positions with the Texas Army National Guard, Tracor, and Motorola Semiconductor Product Sector. He retired as a major from the U.S. Army, with over 20 years of combined active and reserve duty.
		Mary Nichols Senior Vice President/General Counsel Mary Nichols joined Texas Mutual Insurance Company in 1995. She oversees the Office of the General Counsel, which includes the legal, special investigations, and subrogation departments. Before joining the company, she practiced law for ten years at Vinson & Elkins, LLP, where she started as a public finance attorney and later moved into insurance-related litigation. She received her J.D. with honors from the University of Texas, and she is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Travis County Bar Association.
		Ernest Stokey Vice President Premium Audit/Premium Recovery Ernest Stokey, another Texas Mutual® pioneer, joined the company in 1992 as vice president of premium audit. He is a University of Texas at Austin graduate who has over 33 years of experience in premium audit. Before coming to Texas Mutual Insurance Company, Mr. Stokey served as the territorial premium audit manager for Commercial Union Insurance Company in Texas and Illinois.