Honoring Those Who Served
The PIAW and The 1752 Club Thank Mike Moore
Featured Veteran in the Industry: Mike Moore, M3 Insurance, Madison, WI
Written by Josh Timm, The Hartford Financial Services Group
Mike Moore’s interest in the military started as a young boy. The path to serve started with the ROTC program at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, shortly after enlisting in the National Guard. This path provided him an opportunity to gain a college education while achieving his childhood goal of serving his country.
In total, Mike would serve 12 years, with 4 years being active-duty Army and 8 years in the Wisconsin National Guard. While training and on active duty, he was stationed at Ft. Knox, KY; Ft. Lewis, WA; Ft. Sill, OK and Ft. Hood, TX. While in the National Guard, Mike reported to armories in Baraboo, Reedsburg, Wisconsin Rapids, Waupaca, Stevens Point, Marshfield, Ft McCoy, and Madison. Mike served as a Field Artillery Officer and attained the rank of Captain.
There is no shortage of passion in Mike’s voice when he speaks about his time in the Army. Mike shared with me that he had a lot of great memories and some not-so-great memories from his time in the service. Being a young officer during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm was a highlight. Mike was fortunate enough to be involved in fielding a revolutionary new artillery delivery system called “The Paladin” that is still in use today. By technology standards, The Paladin Howitzer took the Field Artillery into the 21st century and was a historic moment in the Army.
Mike’s family has a long history in the insurance business. His grandfather was an American Family agent. His father worked his way through law school as an American Family claims adjuster, then focused his 50 years of law practice on Insurance Defense. Through his father’s law practice, Mike was introduced to a gentleman named Charlie Meldrum (the third “M” in M3), who ultimately became a great mentor and led to the start of Mike’s career in the insurance industry. After a short stint with American Family, Mike was hired by M3.
I asked Mike how his time in the military helped prepare him for a career in the insurance industry. “The Military is all about leadership, especially as a young officer,” Mike said. “I was given a tremendous amount of responsibility at a young age, and I can’t think of any other opportunity that gives recent college graduates that much responsibility in that crucial of an environment.”
“The leadership training and experience prepared me with ethics and values that were the cornerstone of how I wanted to approach my career in insurance,” Mike added. “I think the lessons I learned about working with people, leading people and being able to think strategically about situations have translated well into my insurance career.”
Mike went on to say, “It’s really fascinating to me how often I’m called upon by someone to help them decide if the military is a fit for them. I’m actually going through this with my son right now! My message is always consistent: the military is about service, first and foremost. If you are not passionate about serving for the benefit of others, then you most likely won’t have a great experience in the military. I think this is the same in all career choices, but even more amplified in the military due to the tremendous sacrifice those that wear the uniform bear. It’s why only 1% of our population chooses to serve.”
Mike currently serves as Executive Vice President of Operations as M3 Insurance. Mike’s area includes: Client Services, Brokerage Operations, Information Technology, Human Resources, Professional Development, as well as being a part of the Executive Operating Committee.
Thank you for your service, Captain Moore!