Bill Fleming Assumes Leadership of the Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC) as President and Chief Executive Officer

The Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC) announced today that effective February 1, 2024, Bill Fleming will succeed Timothy Padovese as the company’s President and CEO. Mr. Padovese, who will retire after leading OMIC for 22 years, said, “Being honored with the chance to lead a truly one of a kind company such as OMIC has been a highlight of my life. I’m filled with optimism and gratitude that this great organization has the wealth of talent to lead OMIC into the future.”

The Chair of OMIC’s Board, Dr. Robert Gold of Florida, agreed and thanked Mr. Padovese for leading OMIC at a critical time of growth for the company. “When Tim joined our company in 2002 we were facing challenges related to overall insurance market instability and his steady leadership resulted in the incredible expansion of OMIC to become the dominant leader in our industry.” OMIC is the largest insurer of ophthalmology in America with a 60% share of the private practice market and is the only carrier sponsored and endorsed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Mr. Fleming will lead OMIC during a period of transition for the specialty. Dr. Gold pointed to the changes in the healthcare industry as ophthalmologists pivot to meet the needs of an expanding and diverse patient population. “Medical practices are growing exponentially and forming new alliances to deliver care. OMIC is uniquely positioned to respond to this growth by focusing specifically on risk management, coordination of care, and patient safety initiatives for eye care that will not only protect our insureds but also our entire profession.”

Dr. Gold noted that after an exhaustive search facilitated by The Jacobson Group, Mr. Fleming emerged as the best person to lead the company going forward. “Bill’s extensive leadership experience in the industry and his focus in recent years on new and innovative solutions for a rapidly changing medical practice environment will provide the stability and flexibility we need to continue OMIC’s incredible journey.”

Mr. Fleming expressed his excitement about his new role. “As President and CEO, I plan to continue OMIC’s unique and enduring mission and the servant-leadership mindset that Tim brought to the role. It is clear to me from the longevity and dedication of its senior team and staff that OMIC is so much more than a traditional insurance company. I am also amazed at the intense loyalty of ophthalmologists to this organization and their reliance on its incredible educational resources and services.”

A veteran of US property and casualty insurance, Bill has extensive experience in all functions of professional liability insurance. His early roles focused on claims and he subsequently assumed leadership positions in underwriting, field operations, M&A, and new ventures. He held several senior executive positions at The Doctors Company, including Chief Operating Officer. Most recently, Bill served as Chief Executive Officer and director of Segment Risk, Ltd., a London managing general agent and Lloyd’s of London coverholder that designs and distributes novel insurance products in the healthcare value chain globally. His other roles have included Partner at Tappan Hill Ventures, a technology and IoT-focused venture capital partnership, and senior advisor and director for Indigo Insurance, an insurtech company utilizing machine learning and proprietary technology to predict risk. Bill earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University in Fresno, California and Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He holds the Associate in Insurance Services (AIS™) and Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) designations and has been active in the insurance industry, including numerous committee and section roles with the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS®) and the Medical Professional Liability Association (MPL®).

The Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company is the largest insurer of eye physicians and surgeons and ophthalmic practices in the United States and is the nation’s premier source for ophthalmic risk management and patient educational resources and information.

OMIC maintains the exclusive endorsement and sponsorship of the American Academy of Ophthalmology as well as partner endorsements of 57 state, regional, subspecialty, and other related ophthalmic societies within the U.S.

For more information, visit OMIC's Web site at www.omic.com.
Contact: Robert Widi
Vice President, Marketing and Sales
415-202-4654, rwidi@omic.com