Duler has specific expertise in the services, software, life science, technology, and construction industries, with a deep knowledge of the needs of closely held companies.
Duler has 24 years of experience in the insurance industry, both in Europe and in the US. He had also first hand experience as an insurance buyer when he served as CEO of two VC-backed companies.
Most recently Duler was Chairman & CEO of Formatics Technologies, an enterprise software start-up spun off from SAIC, the largest private technology and R&D consulting firm in the US.
In 1998 Duler founded Esurance, a direct automobile insurance company. Duler secured a reinsurance partnership with General Reinsurance with a 85% quota share treaty. Duler served as Chairman & CEO until he sold Esurance to a large insurance group, and remained a director until January 2002. In 2007 Esurance will achieve revenues of $1 Billion at a 75% loss ratio.
From 1988 to 1998 Duler was an executive with CIGNA (now ACE Ltd.). In 1994 Duler launched the West Coast operations for CIGNA and served as its Vice President and General Manager until 1998, overseeing the Seattle, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego offices. Prior to arriving on the West coast, Duler led worldwide business development and marketing for CIGNA's Global Risk Management, from the company's headquarters in Philadelphia, PA.
Duler began his career at CIGNA in France in 1988 in underwriting for both property and casualty large accounts. In 1991 he was promoted to regional manager of the North East region (Boston office) and the South East region (Atlanta office).
Before joining CIGNA, Duler served as loss prevention engineer in the Charlotte, NC office of Factory Mutual, and subsequently as a senior underwriter for FM Global, an insurance and risk management firm. He also served as an executive with AXA, one of the world's largest financial services company, with revenues of $60B and assets of $900B, in a variety of underwriting and actuarial roles.
Duler is an internationally recognized expert in risk management and financial techniques applied to insurance transactions. From 1989 to 1993 Duler taught advanced risk management in the Master in Finance and Risk Management program in Bordeaux, France. Duler has been a lecturer in entrepreneurship and finance at Temple University, University of Pennsylvania / The Wharton School, and San Francisco State University.
Duler has been a presenter at financial services conferences such as Lloyds Congress, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, and CS First Boston. Duler has been frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Insurance & Technology, Forbes, and Red Herring on insurance issues.
Duler received the French equivalent to a bachelor's of science degree with an emphasis in mathematics and physics, a Master of Science in engineering from the Ecole des Mines in France and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School.
Duler received his Associate in Risk Management designation from the Insurance Institute of America, where he later helped develop its international curriculum. Duler attended in 1997 the Executive Management program for Insurance Executives, also at the Wharton School.