Jeff Smedsrud is chief marketing and strategy officer and senior vice president of the IHC Group, an insurance organization composed of Independence Holding Company (NYSE: IHC) and its subsidiaries. He is also co-president of the IHC Fully Insured Division, chief executive officer of Independent Producers of America, and chief executive officer of IHC Health Solutions, Inc.

Jeff has more than 25 years experience in health insurance marketing and sales force management. In the 1990s, he was managing partner of CORE Marketing, a diversified Dallas-based direct marketing and association management company. Under his leadership, the company grew from less than 20 employees and $5 million in revenue to about 400 employees and $50 million. CORE was sold to a NYSE traded company in August 1998.

Prior to joining CORE, Jeff operated his own public affairs consulting company, focusing on issues related to the insurance industry, and management of grassroots programs for non-profits and trade associations.

Jeff worked on the White House Health Care Task Force, and has testified more than 100 times on insurance and health care issues before state and federal legislative committees. He has also been a featured speaker at numerous direct marketing seminars and regularly writes feature articles for industry trade publications.

Jeff has a bachelor's degree from Moorhead State University. He is married with four children, and lives in a Minneapolis suburb. An active marathon runner, Jeff is a member of the elite Seven Continents Club, an honor bestowed on less than 200 individuals who have raced in marathons on all seven continents of the world.