Eric Poe Does What Most CEOs Won’t — He Fights for the Underdog

If you’ve ever thought car insurers stacked the deck against you, you’re not wrong, and Eric Poe has the receipts to prove it. He’s not just a CEO running a multimillion-dollar insurance company. He’s a force of disruption inside an industry that’s done everything it can to keep the system tilted in favor of the insurer. But Poe? He’s not interested in playing that game.

From the boardroom to the Senate floor, Poe shows up with a plan and a purpose. His message is clear: driving history should determine what you pay, not your degree or job title. If that makes him unpopular with the big-name insurers? That’s just confirmation he’s doing things right.

CURE Wasn’t Built to Blend In

When you dig into CURE Auto Insurance’s origin story, you realize it was never meant to be conventional. It started in New Jersey during a time when the no-fault insurance model was falling apart. Most companies stepped back, but CURE stepped in.

Under Poe’s leadership, what began as a regional solution evolved into a multi-state operation insuring over 150,000 households. Revenue soared from $85 million to $144 million [VP1] in just a year. That growth didn’t happen by sheer luck or market-driven hype. It happened because Poe built a company around people who deserved to get fair treatment.

Poe scaled CURE with precision, and he did it while staying true to the company’s mission and values.

He Didn’t Wait for Permission

Eric Poe didn’t climb his way to the top of the auto insurance industry through corporate handshakes or recycled ideas. He arrived with the credentials. Sure, he’s a licensed CPA and attorney, but those titles don’t define him or his purpose. What does? His willingness to question rules that never made sense in the first place.

You’ve probably heard stories about insurance companies charging people more based on their job or where they went to school. Poe took those stories and backed them with data, then walked them right into the halls of Congress.

New York banned the practice in 2018[VP2] , Michigan followed in 2019, and other states are joining in. These aren’t isolated wins; they’re dominoes falling.

Speaking Truth to Power Is Part of His Routine

Most executives stay in their lane, but Eric Poe never bought into that approach. If you’ve seen him on CNBC, Fox Business or testifying before the House Financial Services Committee, you already know he doesn’t speak in soundbites. He shows up with receipts and solutions.

When he says insurance should be about driving records, not income proxies, he’s not offering a talking point. He’s pointing to a system that priced people out of mobility for decades.

“Driving isn’t optional,” Poe said at a recent industry event. “It’s the foundation for earning a living in this country. If you can’t afford to drive, you can’t afford to live.”

That statement doesn’t just apply to policyholders. It drives how CURE hires, trains and expands.

Awards Are Nice, but Change Is Better

Poe’s shelf isn’t short on recognition. He’s been named to NJBIZ’s “40 Under 40.” He’s won the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey Commitment and Achievement Award.

Poe was selected as a Trailblazer by the New Jersey Law Journal, and when CURE landed on the 2024 Philadelphia100® list of fastest-growing private companies, it wasn’t just a corporate win, it was a validation of everything Poe stands for.

At the Philadelphia100® CEO Breakfast, Poe shared CURE’s origin story and what it took to grow an insurer in one of the most competitive markets in the country. “It’s a team effort,” he told the crowd. “And I couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come.”

His Leadership Style? Lead With Grit, Then Push Further

If you’ve ever worked under someone who inspired you to do more than you thought you could, you already understand Poe’s approach. He doesn’t whimsically talk about leadership; he defines it through action.

In his words, “Great leaders give courage to people who don’t yet have it. You push them, not because it’s easy, but because you believe they’re capable of more than they realize.”

That’s not just philosophy; it’s how Poe runs CURE. He’s in the trenches with his team, he takes the hits with them, and when there’s a hard choice to make, he’s not asking someone else to take the first step.

He also doesn’t believe in overprotecting people from failure. Poe has spoken publicly about how participation trophies and watered-down challenges hurt more than help. In his eyes, resilience is something you earn through setbacks, not comfort.

The Revolution Started Quietly, But It’s Not Quiet Anymore

Most people outside the insurance world had never heard of insurance rating factors like occupation or education before Poe brought them into the spotlight. Now, the conversation has moved to Capitol Hill. State lawmakers are paying attention, media outlets are covering the disparities in the system, and people are asking questions. Poe’s been ready with answers for years.

His work with the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey goes deeper than advocacy. It’s built on collaboration, shared values and real policy progress. “Eric’s work has created opportunity where there was once disadvantage,” said AACCNJ’s John Harmon. “His fight is our fight.”

That fight isn’t over, and Poe knows it.

He’s Not Slowing Down

While some CEOs plan their exit strategies, Poe’s planning the next wave of reforms. He’s still speaking out, still filing policy proposals, still pushing state legislatures and federal lawmakers to finish what he started.

“This isn’t finished,” he says. “There’s still work to do. There are still drivers being priced unfairly, and we’re not walking away until it’s fixed.”

That’s what separates Eric Poe from everyone else in his field. He built CURE to create change, and that mission is far from over.