MassMutual's CFO transition; Aflac hires SVP: Career moves

November 17, 2024 3:21 PM

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MassMutual CFO transition and chief actuary appointment

MassMutual announced that after three decades with the company, Betsy Ward will retire as CFO, at the end of the year. Mary Jane Fortin has joined the company and will be appointed as CFO in January. Fortin joins the company from Thrivent Financial where she served as president and chief commercial officer. Fortin will be responsible for overseeing MassMutual's corporate strategy, development, financial reporting and planning, treasury and capital management and corporate actuarial functions. Fortin will work with Ward and other executives to ease the transition.

Roger Crandall, MassMutual chairman, president and CEO, said in statement: "With more than 35 years of experience in the financial services industry, a strong track record of leading organizations through change, and establishing and driving innovative growth strategies, I am confident in MJ's ability to build upon our reputation for outstanding financial strength and capital management. Her deep understanding of our industry and extensive financial, operational and leadership experience will be invaluable as we continue to deliver on our purpose to help people secure their future and protect the ones they love."

Additionally, MassMutual announced Vy Ho as chief actuary. Ho, who recently served as head of valuation and appointed actuary at the company, has nearly 30 years of industry experience. Before joining MassMutual, Ho spent 15 years at Prudential Financial in various actuarial roles.

Aflac hires SVP, account business and growth solutions

Aflac announced JR Shamley as senior vice president, national account business development and growth solutions. In this newly created position, Shamley will be responsible for aligning distribution and business strategies to drive growth in the national accounts segment. Shamle joins Aflac from Aon, where he was most recently senior vice president, time away and life solutions practice leader.

Scott Beeman, senior vice president, national accounts, said in a statement:

"JR is a strategic thinker with extensive experience developing solutions for the group benefits marketplace. His leadership and industry insights, as well as his innovative approach, will help strengthen Aflac's value proposition across our expansive suite of group insurance plans, helping Aflac lead our industry by helping better meet the needs of large employers and their workforces. We are both fortunate and thrilled to have him join our team."

Ascot’s new U.S. COO

Ascot appointed Matt Roy as U.S. chief operating officer. Roy will be tasked with aligning underwriting operations, technology across the U.S. and designing change initiatives to enhance the operating model by the use of common platforms, procedures and processes. Roy joined Ascot in 2020 as SVP, head of E&S casualty.

Elizabeth Johnson, Ascot Group chief operating officer, said in a statement:

"Matt has both the skills and knowledge to make him uniquely qualified to excel in this role. He is a trusted leader and colleague at Ascot, where he has built an industry-leading E&S Casualty business unit, a skilled underwriter with a deep understanding of the insurance market and risk landscape, and an experienced operations professional."

New president and CEO of Principal

Principal Financial Group announced its board has appointed Deanna Strable as president and chief executive officer, effective January 7. Strable will succeed Dan Houston, who has been president and CEO since 2015. Houston will continue to serve as executive chair of the board.

Scott M. Mills, lead independent director of the principal board of directors, said in a statement: "Deanna brings strategic vision, strong leadership experience, and a deep understanding of the company's interconnected business units and great culture. She has cultivated a breadth and depth of experience during her 35 years with Principal and held key leadership roles in shaping its strategy and portfolio of businesses. We look forward to her continued leadership driving Principal into the next phase of growth."

Sedgwick names Andrea Buhl president of casualty

Sedgwick, a global leader in the areas of claims management, loss adjusting and technology-enabled solutions, has appointed Andrea Buhl president of its casualty group. During her 15 years with the company she has held multiple leadership roles and most recently led the company's managed care line of business for four years.

"We have combined our casualty and managed care lines into one group, casualty," explained Sedgwick's Global Chief Operating Officer Jim Ryan. "This will drive new opportunities to better serve our clients, deliver the best possible customer experience, and support the most positive outcomes. This change will ensure we are even more unified, integrated and optimized under the leadership of Andrea."

Grange Insurance announces VP of PL sales and strategic distribution

Grange Insurance named Nicole Carter as vice president of PL sales and strategic distribution, effective Jan. 1 2025. Carter has nearly 30 years of insurance experience, with previous roles at Allstate, Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance.

"For the past two and a half years, Nicole has led our strategic distribution roadmap," said Jill Wagner Kelly, chief distribution officer, in the news release. "She has successfully matured our relationships with key agency network, broker, platform, and digital partners, helping cultivate our presence and growth within the marketplace at the national level. She has a deep understanding of our personal lines business as several of our national partners have substantial personal lines books, making her a great fit for this role."

Lloyd’s announces Nathan Adams as chief people officer

Lloyd's appointed Nathan Adams as the company's chief people officer. Adams will replace Sara Gomez, who is retiring at the end of this year, and will become a member of Lloyd's Executive Committee. Adams holds over two decades of experience and has previously held positions at Aviva, Barclays and Arcadia Group.

FM names COO

FM has named Randy Hodge as chief operating officer. Hodge will take over the role from Bret Ahnell, who will retire in March. The appointment is effective Dec. 1. Hodge joined FM in 1990 and has served in several roles including account manager and most recently EVP, staff insurance operations.

Malcolm Roberts, chairman and chief executive officer of FM, said in a statement: "I would also like to extend my deepest appreciation and gratitude to Bret for his incredible 38 years of leadership with FM, especially his unwavering commitment to our clients and their success."