CEO Mehran Assadi announced that Chief Financial Officer Sarah VanBeck is leaving National Life and Chief Risk Officer Eric Sandberg is becoming CFO. Here is Mehran’s announcement.
I am writing to share with you the news that Sarah VanBeck is leaving National Life to pursue a new opportunity that puts her closer to family, in Iowa near where her dad lives. Sarah’s priorities have always been properly aligned with family so it is not a surprise to me that she is putting family first.
I am very thankful to Sarah for her service here at National Life. In the past year she helped guide us through one of the most difficult financial periods in the company’s history. She and her team have helped us stay focused on our financial resiliency and have provided a clear picture of our financial performance throughout the pandemic and into 2021.
Sarah’s leadership was critical to our very successful surplus note offerings in 2018 and 2019, which allowed us to raise $500 million of capital to support our continued growth. She and her team have also done a tremendous job providing support to our ratings agency relationships and telling our story of financial strength. She has a keen ability to explain complex financial subjects in understandable ways to multiple audiences.
One of things I admire most about Sarah is her servant’s heart. She has been very active in our community, doing good and always linking that passion back to National Life’s values. I am sure she will continue to give of herself in genuine ways in any community she joins in Iowa.
Sarah came to National Life in 2017 from AIG in Houston and joined us as Chief Accounting Officer and Controller. The following year she was she promoted to Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.
Please join me in thanking Sarah for her contributions to National Life and wishing her and husband Scott well in the next chapter of their lives.
I would also like to announce the appointment of Eric Sandberg as our next Chief Financial Officer. Eric has served as our Chief Risk Officer for the last six years and will retain that title in addition to CFO. Eric will continue to report to Bob Cotton, Chief Operating Officer.
Eric has demonstrated strong leadership and critical thinking since joining the company in 2012 as Chief Actuary and has been a member of my Executive Management Team since 2018. In addition to leading our Corporate Actuarial Transformation shortly after joining National Life, he has led Enterprise Risk Management, Asset/Liability Management and most recently, Forecasting & Analytics as a member of Bob’s COO Team. Eric also plays a key role in Task Force 175, helping shape our strategy and set direction for the company. His contributions to our success have been broad and significant.
Prior to joining National Life, Eric held various leadership roles with Transamerica Aegon, including Head of Asset/Liability Management, Chief Risk Officer for Employer Solutions and Head of Pricing on the Corporate Risk team. Eric is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA), a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA), a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Fellow of the Life Management Institute (FLMI).
Please join me in congratulating Eric on this expanded role.
Cheers,
Mehran