In 1879, Bulkeley was elected the third president in the history of Aetna Life Insurance, a position he held until his death. Under Bulkeley’s leadership, Aetna’s assets grew from $25 million in 1879 to over $200 million in 1922, and the number of employees rose from 29 to 1,500. Bulkeley also established the Aetna Casualty and Surety Company and the Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford, two subsidiaries of the parent company.