Life of the South CIO Bob Fullington Utilizes Tech Infrastructure to Drive Growth

As CIO of Life of the South, Bob Fullington has the technology infrastructure to enable rapid product development, and intends to continually leverage that technology to drive growth.

I&T: Do you consider Life of the South to be bleeding-edge when it comes to technology?

Fullington: We're leading-edge rather than bleeding-edge. I like to know that stuff works, but we're always looking for new technology that can leverage our business.

I&T: How do you keep IT staff motivated and engaged?

Fullington: Our IT staff is involved in all aspects of the business. Data is the most important thing we have -- it's intellectual property. If you want a job where you are involved with the business, we've created a positive, can-do environment. Collaboration is important, and we'll present problems to a lot of different people so they can bring their experience and skill sets to solve them.

I&T: What qualities do you look for in IT employees?

Fullington: We look for smart people because with smart people you can do great things. Although we do have skill sets we have to place, I'm less concerned about the experience of [prospective employees].

I&T: What have been your greatest accomplishments, personally and professionally?

Fullington: My greatest personal accomplishment is raising two boys, getting them through college and seeing them become successful in life.

Professionally it was taking LOTSolutions from an idea and building it organically to more than $200 million in premiums in less than five years. We represent about 6 percent of the company's revenue and about 33 percent of the profits. It's a good business for us, and we are continuing to build on it.