"Managers" will replace three levels of "directors"; California operation slimmed
The Seventh-day Adventist Church's risk assessment and insurance organization is revamping its management structure and consolidating operations in North America to enhance its mission and service, its chief executive said.
In an April 22 meeting of its board, Adventist Risk Management, Inc., (ARM) approved a revised structure for the organization that will remove some administrative levels and relocate most services from the Riverside, California office to its home office at the Adventist Church's world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.
"This reorganization will help us better meet the demands of today's market and mission, and deploy our resources to better serve our clients," said ARM President Robert Kyte.
The plan calls for eliminating the positions and titles of "director," "associate director" and "assistant director." The title of "manager" will denote positions that are supervisory.
"By flattening the organization we are reducing levels of management and reassigning those individuals to be in direct client services," said Kyte, who became ARM president in January.
ARM, comprised of some 140 employees, insures and assesses risk for each of the Adventist Church's 13 world regional divisions and many of the church's institutions. It's annual consolidated revenues total about $46 million.
Following the restructure, California-based employees in Customer Care, Claims and support staff in Field Services will be given the option to relocate to Maryland. In addition, Field Services Representatives serving the western United States will continue to be based in the territory and provisions will be made for those employees to work in remote offices. Employees affected by the change will be offered alternative positions and those who are unable to relocate to Silver Spring, or unwilling to accept the new positions will be offered financial transition packages.
ARM's board also merged the Personal Risk Department with Risk Placement and will be managed by one of the current vice presidents.
Kyte said the move would enhance services in underwriting and claims and provide more comprehensive field services with faster turnaround of inquiries. It would also enable ARM to provide more comprehensive risk management education services, he said.
The board also created the position of Chief Information Officer to manage Information Systems and Technology.
ARM and its affiliated companies have about $49 million in consolidated net assets. The corporation also has offices in Brazil and England.