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Hurricane Sandy and the Guardian Life In...

Riefberg, Vivian, ...

Case

Hurricane Sandy and the Guardian Life Insurance Company (A)

Riefberg, Vivian; Klopfenstein, Amy

OB-1379 | Published May 2, 2025 | 4 pages Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

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In 2012, Hurricane Sandy damaged key infrastructure throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and caused over 7.5 million people to lose electricity. This A case follows Deanna Mulligan, CEO of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), a large mutual life insurance company based in the northeastern United States, as she makes decisions in the days before Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the United States. She must consider multiple areas of uncertainty, including the storm’s trajectory, the company’s ability to continue to operate, and the storm’s potential impact on Guardian’s employees. At the conclusion of the case, she is deciding where to go before the storm makes landfall in the United States. The B case follows Mulligan as she grapples with the hurricane’s impact, reveals the choices she made in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, and identifies the remaining uncertainties that she faces in the coming months. This field-based case series facilitates a discussion of the decisions that leaders must make before, during and after unavoidable crises that disrupt their business operations. It also supports a discussion of stakeholder management: As Mulligan takes stock of her situation after the hurricane, she must determine which stakeholder groups to prioritize. At the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, this case series has been taught in the second-year elective, “Leading in Uncertainty and Crisis.” It would also be suitable in MBA or executive education courses on crisis leadership, strategic planning, and business disruption.

Explore the key uncertainties that leaders are confronted with when a sudden and unavoidable disruption impacts business. Analyze actions and priorities taken to address and minimize the impact of a sudden disruption. Explore how initial and subsequent leadership actions during a crisis may result in positive change, such as leadership and organizational growth. Consider how personal and organizational values may influence and drive strategy in the face of major disruption.