Author: Lester Jacobson

Asides Creative Writing

On the Road

I wrote this shortly after hitchhiking through Europe in the spring of 1968, a wonderful trip that took me from London to Jerusalem and back. That trip is recounted in my memoir, Remember Me, excerpts of which are posted on this site. As I recall, the impetus for this story was suggested to me when I met someone at a youth hostel who was very much like the mysterious traveler described here, though, unlike everything else in the memoir, it is largely imagined.

In 1967 and 1968 I had been living and going to college in London, though really what I had been doing was traveling – throughout England and the continent, to Manchester, East Anglia, Paris, Russia and Warsaw. My draft board and my parents thought I was in college, which was fine, but college for me was the road; it was education enough. After a brief visit home on spring break I returned to London to embark on my most audacious travel plan.

I packed a backpack, took a train to the south coast, and crossed the English Channel on . . .

Corporate Writing

Annual Report Letter

For many years I wrote the editorial sections of the Allstate annual report, including the letter to shareholders from the chairman. Here’s the letter from 1998.

This is my first letter to shareholders as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Allstate. I welcome the opportunity to lead 53,000 of the finest employees and agents in America, whose combined efforts led to another record year for the company. 1998 was a watershed year for another reason, too: Jerry Choate, my predecessor and good friend, announced his retirement after a stellar 37-year career at Allstate. Starting as an operations supervisor in California, Jerry rose through the company and graced everything and everyone he touched with a sense of purpose and integrity. He took over as CEO in 1994 and under his stewardship the company and its shareholders thrived. From 1994 to 1998, during his leadership, we increased operating income …

View the complete article here, or download it (pdf) here.

Corporate Writing

Officer Lunch: July 2007

I wrote the CEO’s remarks at the monthly officer lunches and the annual off-site leadership meeting. He would use this framework to personalize his remarks. This was from an officer lunch in July 2007.

Welcome

  • Today’s meeting marks a very special milestone. As you saw from last week’s e-mail, we have completed our new mission statement.
  • Our senior leadership team was deeply involved in every aspect of developing this document, from inception to revision to finalization.
  • All of you have played key roles as well, by providing us with your comments and feedback in the officer sessions and throughout the entire process.
    • Senior executives who facilitated those meetings reported how well-prepared, thoughtful and passionate you were about being a part of the process.
  • I want to thank you for your help, input and support.
  • We listened intently to what you had to say and your feedback has been incorporated into the final version.
  • I’d like to share with you a few highlights and details.
    • Briefly review document:
    • Why we developed it.
    • What it’s meant to be
      • Shared vision/roadmap for the next 3-5 years.
      • Way we’ll transform the company into a consumer-focused organization.
      • Other.