NAPA, Calif. — Vehicle service contracts administrator AUL Corp. has appointed Jose Fleites to the position of chief information officer, announced Jimmy Atkinson, the company’s president and CEO. Fleites will operate from the firm’s headquarters in Napa, Calif., beginning March 15, bringing more than 25 years of information systems experience to the newly established position.

“Having worked on the same leadership team with Jose for several years at Assurant, I have a solid grasp of his tremendous knowledge and experience. As AUL continues to expand its customer base, Jose’s global experience provides the leadership required to deliver outstanding solutions to partner agents and dealerships across the country,” Atkinson said.

Fleites will spearhead the launch of a new underwriting system that will increase workflow efficiencies and reduce costs when issuing new policies and processing claims. He will also oversee the development and implementation of a new customer relationship management system to enhance AUL’s customer experience and expand the firm’s sales capabilities and bandwidth, Atkinson said, adding, “Having implemented similar systems to great success, Jose is perfectly positioned to ensure AUL stays on the leading edge of the VSC industry.”

Prior to AUL, Fleites was vice president of strategic initiatives at a leading VSC and GAP waiver provider, where he is credited with successfully orchestrating a reorganization of operations that reduced costs by 20% and implementing new workforce management software that reduced employee turnover by 50%. Previous positions include global CIO of Aon Affinity and a nearly 20-year career with Assurant, a global provider of vehicle and other service contracts, the final six as vice president of IT and operations.

“Jose is a strong leader who thinks strategically and works extremely well with people at all levels. An excellent communicator who truly cares for people, Jose fits very well with our culture at AUL, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have him aboard,” Atkinson said.