Legends of insurance: Video interview with Maurice “Hank” Greenberg (PropertyCasualty360)

As CEO of AIG for 37 years, it’s tough to match the legendary status of Maurice “Hank” Greenberg. “Aig was not for everybody,” Greenberg said. “If you came from a very passive company you’d feel out of place in Aig. There was a spirit and a culture that was a winning culture. You attracted people who shared the same values, and the people who didn’t have those values wouldn’t last.” Under his watch, AIG’s market value increased 700-fold. “We were not afraid to do something because there might be a loss; we went to something because we thought there might be a profit,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we weren’t diligent in doing what we were going to do. We did a lot of homework on product innovation.” In summing up the company’s culture, Greenberg said, “We had a great slogan: The biggest risk is not taking one.”