Lincoln Financial Group has appointed Jennifer Charters as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), effective from November 18, 2024. Charters, a veteran technology leader with 30 years of experience in the financial services sector, will take on the task of overseeing Lincoln’s enterprise-wide digital strategy and technology initiatives. Reporting directly to Chairman, President, and CEO Ellen Cooper, Charters will also join the company’s Senior Management Committee, bringing an extensive track record in technology leadership to one of the country’s leading financial services companies.
Her appointment follows an impressive tenure as Executive Vice President and CIO at Flagstar Bank, where Charters led the full breadth of the IT organisation, steering key digital projects and managing the technology infrastructure for one of the nation’s prominent financial institutions. Before her time at Flagstar, she served as the CIO of Corporate Technology at Ally Financial, a role in which she was instrumental in driving innovation across the company’s IT landscape.
The early stages of Charters’ career laid a strong foundation in large-scale systems development, process improvement, and change management at Accenture, where she spent over a decade working on solutions for insurance, financial services, and telecommunications organisations. This background has afforded her a distinctive blend of expertise, which she will now apply to Lincoln Financial’s forward-looking technology vision.
Her educational background is equally formidable, with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Michigan. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Charters is committed to advancing women in technology, demonstrated by her service on the Advisory Board for the Michigan Council of Women in Technology and her leadership as the organisation’s President in 2021.
Lincoln Financial’s CEO, Ellen Cooper, expressed confidence in Charters’ ability to drive the company’s technology modernisation strategy. “As we continue to optimise our operating model, we are excited to welcome Jen to our team to further accelerate our technology modernisation and innovation efforts,” Cooper remarked. “Jen is a seasoned technology executive with extensive experience driving business value through technology delivery. We look forward to her leadership as we strategically deploy customer-centric technology to meet the evolving needs of the people we serve and enhance the ways we deliver our products, solutions, and capabilities to the market.”
Charters’ arrival aligns with Lincoln’s focus on advancing its technology and digital platforms to create enhanced customer experiences. As Lincoln navigates an increasingly digital landscape, Charters’ leadership is expected to bolster the company’s capacity to deliver tailored financial solutions.
This appointment also signals the planned retirement of current CIO Ken Solon, who will conclude his role after a dedicated 16-year tenure at Lincoln Financial. Solon’s career has been marked by his commitment to evolving the firm’s technology landscape with a clear focus on both customer and employee experiences. “On behalf of all of Team Lincoln, I want to thank and recognise Ken for his numerous contributions and congratulate him on a remarkable career in financial services,” Cooper added, celebrating Solon’s contributions and dedication to Lincoln Financial’s growth and transformation.
