John M. Noel

President & Chief Executive Officer
Noel Group

John M. Noel is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Noel Group – a diversified organization that invests in promising companies and has a history of building successful businesses in the areas of insurance, emergency travel assistance, customer service, financial services, emerging technology and real estate. Noel Group operates on a value-based philosophy of serving its clients and employees with honesty, integrity and respect. The company is based in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and operates under the philosophy “Our direction is led by our values.”

John Noel has overseen many successful companies including MultiNational Underwriters and Travel Guard International. Mr. Noel started Travel Guard in his basement in 1985 and grew it to become one of the most respected travel insurance and emergency assistance providers in the world. Travel Guard was sold in 2006 and is now part of Chartis. In 2008 MultiNational was sold to HCC Insurance Holdings and renamed HCC Medical Insurance Services.

Other Noel Group companies include CallForce, a customer service contact center; Noel Care, a wellness enhanced group health care benefit program; Compass Properties, a real estate investment company; and Insure America, a specialty insurance company. Noel Group also operates the MyAssist service, a live personal assistance for the mobile lifestyle.

In recognition of the profitability, management, job creation and civic involvement of his company, Noel was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001. Noel Group has been publicly honored over the years including earning the State of Wisconsin’s Exemplary Employer Award, the University of Wisconsin Regent Partnership Award and the Portage County Business Council’s President’s Award.

In 1993, John and his wife Patty established the Make A Mark Foundation a non-profit, humanitarian program focused on making a positive difference on both a local and global level. Through a network of partners donating time, abilities and finances, Make A Mark has built clinics, schools and orphanages in developing countries throughout the world. Over the past two decades, Make A Mark has focused its attention on the looming orphan crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, which was caused by the devastating AIDS pandemic.

In 1996, the Noel’s established The Noel Compass Scholarship Program to provide access to higher education for low-income, high-achieving students of color from Wisconsin’s urban communities. The program includes room, board and tuition at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point as well as a paid internship at Noel Group. Today, the Noel’s “extended family” includes over 20 Compass Scholar college graduates.

In recognition of their many philanthropic endeavors, the Noels were presented with the Franklin Covey Humanitarian Service Award, given to “outstanding individuals who reach out to improve the quality of life for individuals, groups or humankind.” The Noel Group has also been recognized by Working Mother Magazine as one of the top 100 companies in the nation for working mothers.

Noel is a graduate and facilitator of the Covey Leadership Center, which is based on the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” created by renowned author Dr. Steven Covey. A subsequent book by Dr. Covey entitled “Living the 7 Habits” includes a chapter written by Noel, where he shares the positive impact that the program has had on his personal and professional life.

Noel earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and was recognized as the University’s “Alumni of the Year” in 1999. The University’s performing arts center was also dedicated in 2006 as the Noel Fine Arts.