Ken Harrison is a native of western Illinois, where he was raised on a grain and livestock farm. He earned a degree in agronomy from Southern Illinois University–Carbondale. Ken began his career as a foundation corn breeder for a major seed company before recognizing the financial opportunities in agricultural insurance. He transitioned into the industry by becoming an Illinois Farm Bureau Insurance agent, launching a career that would span several decades and make a lasting impact on U.S. crop insurance policy and practice.

As his expertise grew, Ken founded an independent insurance agency and later became a key participant in the emerging federal crop insurance industry. Following the Federal Crop Insurance Act of 1980, Ken joined what would become the Risk Management Agency (RMA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. During his tenure, he contributed to the development of multiple programs that today account for more than 80% of RMA’s total premium volume. After retiring from RMA in 2007, Ken re-entered the retail insurance market, focusing on production risk management for producers. His interest in captive insurance began during Hurricane Andrew, when much of Florida’s citrus industry relied on captives for hurricane coverage. Later, seeing a vegetable processor successfully apply the same approach reignited his passion for micro-captive insurance as a powerful tool for rural enterprises.

Ken is now co-owner of The Eliason Group, which operates across traditional insurance, captive insurance, and agricultural finance. The group promotes its work and educational outreach through CaptiveOnTheFarm.com.