Dan Wolak

BS 1975, MS 1977, Mathematics

"When I look back at my Purdue experience, I appreciate that it was academically challenging and focused. My Purdue background clearly provided me with a strong technical background."

Dan Wolak is a testament to the impact Purdue can have on its graduates, particularly those who become Boilermakers through the university’s regional campuses.

With more than 35 years of insurance industry experience, Wolak appreciates the quality of the education he was able to access initially without moving from his Northwest Indiana home.

“I first attended the Purdue West Lafayette campus after completing three years at Purdue-Calumet. As a senior, I had the maturity and had money (from living at home my first three years) to enjoy my first year on campus,” Wolak says.

That same work ethic helped define Wolak’s future, established during his upbringing as the son of a carpenter and longtime member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners.

Today, in leading the Union Labor Life Insurance Co. and Ullico Casualty Group, Wolak is responsible for the Life & Health and Property & Casualty insurance lines at Ullico.

A key focus is to understand the impact of the federal health-care reform measure on the company’s Medical Stop Loss business, and to suggest actions and strategies to pursue on this front. He also leads a work group consisting of outside representatives from labor that studies insurance issues and trends and solutions for Ullico and labor.

Still today, Wolak values Purdue’s role in providing him with a challenging technical curriculum that opened doors for a fulfilling insurance career. “The experience at Purdue prepared me for the rigors of the actuarial exams, which I was able to complete relatively quickly,” he says.

Education

BS ’75, Mathematics, Purdue University
MS ’77, Mathematics, Purdue University

Career highlights

2010-Present President, Union Labor Life Insurance Co.
2002 Chairperson, Society of Actuaries, Health Section
2001 Senior Vice President, General Re Life Corp.
1984 Vice President Group Actuary, American United Life Insurance Co.
1981 Completed actuarial exam series in 4 ½ years