Updated April 24, 2026, 4:04 p.m. ET
For the first time since 2006, someone other than Thomas B. Hagen will serve as chairman of Erie Indemnity Co., the management firm of Erie Insurance.
Jonathan Hirt Hagen, son of Thomas B. Hagen and the late Susan Hirt Hagen, has been elected by the board to serve as its new chairman.
The company’s board of directors elected the 63-year-old Philadelphia man during an April 19 meeting and named Thomas Hagen, who is 90, to serve as chairman emeritus.
The elder Hagen, who led Erie Insurance as CEO from 1990 to 1993, was elected to replace former chairman F.W. Hirt, following his death.
Jonathan Hagen is not new to the leadership ranks at Erie’s largest employer and the only Erie-based Fortune 500 company.
He has served as co-trustee of H.O. Hirt Trusts, vice chairman of Erie Indemnity and chairman of the board of Erie Affiliated Insurance Companies.
Matthew Cummings, a spokesman for the company, said the company’s new chairman was elected unanimously.
“This transition reflects both continuity and a deep connection to our company’s history,” Cummings said in a statement. “Jonathan is the son of Tom Hagen and the late Susan Hirt Hagen, and the grandson of our co-founder, H.O. Hirt. He has served on our Board since 2005 and as Vice Chairman since 2013.”
Tim NeCastro, who announced earlier this year that he intends to retire as CEO at the end of this year, applauded the move in a memo to employees.
“Jonathan brings a thoughtful, steady approach to leadership, along with a strong understanding of our business and our culture,” NeCastro wrote. “He also carries forward the legacy of those who helped build this company — grounded in service, integrity, and a long-term perspective.”
Like his father, Jonathan Hagen will serve as non-executive chairman, meaning that he will lead the board of directors, but will not oversee daily operations.
Jonathan Hagen, who sometimes accompanied his father to work as a young man, worked at the company for several summers while attending college.
A graduate of McDowell High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, both an MBA and a law degree from Temple University and a master’s degree from Villanova University School of Law.
Thomas Hagen, who remains active as the leader of the Erie Historic Preservation Trust, served as the first secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
He was selected by the Pennsylvania Society to receive the 2024 Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement.
Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
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