Selwyn Vickers, Katia Walsh and Kevin Warren Join Securian Financial Board of Directors

Selwyn Vickers, Katia Walsh and Kevin Warren were elected to the Securian Financial board of directors at the company’s February board meeting. The new directors will assume their roles on April 1.

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Katia Walsh, Securian Financial board member and Levi Strauss & Co.'s chief strategy and artificial intelligence officer (Photo: Business Wire)

“Selwyn, Katia and Kevin are impressive, values-driven leaders. They are perfect additions to the Securian Financial board of directors, and we are pleased and honored to welcome them,” said Chris Hilger, Securian Financial’s chairman, president and CEO.

Selwyn Vickers, M.D., is senior vice president for medicine and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)—one of the 10 largest public academic medical centers and the third largest public hospital in the United States. In this role since 2013, Vickers leads the medical school’s main campus in Birmingham and its two regional campuses. He has led a process of transformative growth at UAB, increasing National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding by 47% in the past five years, increasing clinical revenues by over 50% in the past five years, upgrading the school’s accreditation and increasing community engagement.

Prior to UAB, Vickers worked seven years at the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he served as professor and chair of the Department of Surgery.

Vickers earned his bachelor’s degree and M.D. from the Johns Hopkins University, where he also completed his surgical training and chief residency. He completed two summer post-graduate research fellowships with the NIH and trained at John Radcliffe Hospital of Oxford University in England.

Katia Walsh, Ph.D., is chief strategy and artificial intelligence officer for Levi Strauss & Co., one of the world’s largest brand-name apparel companies and a global leader in denim. In this role since 2019, Walsh has led the effort to build data and artificial intelligence capabilities that drive value across Levi Strauss & Co. and accelerate the company’s digital transformation.

Prior to Levi Strauss & Co., Walsh worked at Vodafone Group, the world’s largest telecommunications provider serving 500 million customers in 25 countries across five continents, where she introduced cutting-edge technologies and built a large Data and Artificial Intelligence organization. Previously, she spent a combined 10 years at financial services companies Prudential and Fidelity in roles focused on driving digital transformation through the strategic use of data, analytics and technology.

Born and raised in Bulgaria, Walsh holds a master’s degree in journalism and media from Sofia University, a master’s degree from The Media School at Indiana University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri with an emphasis on new communication technology and specialization in quantitative methodology.

Kevin Warren, J.D., serves as the sixth commissioner of the Big Ten Conference in its 125-year history and is the first African American commissioner to lead an Autonomy Five conference. He continues to prioritize the health, safety and quality academic and athletic experiences for the nearly 10,000 Big Ten student-athletes while building a sustainable infrastructure and financial model to grow opportunities for the conference, its member institutions and partners.

Prior to his Big Ten appointment, Commissioner Warren, a 21-year National Football League executive, was the first African American chief operating officer in the NFL when he served as COO for the Minnesota Vikings. Warren established the strategic vision for the organization while also leading its business operations. Warren played critical roles in all facets of opening U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, the organization’s headquarters. Before joining the Vikings, he worked for the international law firm of Greenberg Traurig, as well as the front offices of the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams, where he served as an executive during Super Bowl XXXIV.

Commissioner Warren earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Grand Canyon University, and he was named to the university’s athletics hall of fame in 2012. Warren earned an MBA from Arizona State University and J.D. from the University of Notre Dame School of Law. Commissioner Warren previously served as a Securian Financial board member from June 2018 to September 2019.

ABOUT SECURIAN FINANCIAL

At Securian Financial, we’re here for family. And we’re here because of it. We’re guided by our purpose: helping customers build secure tomorrows. Since 1880, we’ve been building a uniquely diversified company that has outlasted economic ups and downs while staying true to our customers. We’re committed to the markets we serve, providing insurance, investment and retirement solutions that give families the confidence to focus on what’s truly valuable: banking memories with those who matter most.

Securian Financial is the marketing name for Securian Financial Group, Inc. and its affiliates. Insurance products are issued by its affiliated insurance companies, including Minnesota Life Insurance Company and Securian Life Insurance Company, a New York authorized insurer. Securities and investment advisory services offered through Securian Financial Services, Inc., registered investment advisor, member FINRA/SIPC.

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