CEO Change At Ameritas

(KFOR NEWS October 21, 2019) JoAnn M. Martin, CPA, FLMI, will retire from Ameritas Mutual Holding Company and Ameritas Holding Company as chief executive officer and Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. as chair, effective Jan. 10, 2020. The Boards of Directors named William W. (Bill) Lester to succeed Martin.

“The opportunity to lead is a privilege,” Martin said. “I thank everyone at Ameritas for their commitment to the organization.”

Martin was elected Ameritas chief executive officer in 2009. She joined Ameritas, then called Bankers Life Nebraska, in 1984 as an audit division manager. Martin rose through the company, serving the next 35 years in various key leadership roles. As CEO, Martin set the pace and was essential to the growth of Ameritas. Martin’s term as chair of the American Council of Life Insurers ended earlier this month. She was only the second woman to lead ACLI in its 113-year history.

Bill Lester, CFA, FLMI, will become president and CEO of Ameritas Mutual Holding Company and Ameritas Holding Company. He currently serves as president and chief operating officer of AMHC and AHC, president and CEO of ALIC and president and CEO of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York.

Lester began his career with Ameritas in 1983 as a securities analyst with Ameritas Investment Advisors. He earned his B.S. degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and holds CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and FLMI designations. Lester has held many leadership roles at Ameritas.

Lester serves as board chair at Bryan Health, is a board member of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and is a trustee and committee member of the University of Nebraska Foundation. He serves on the board of directors of Universal Surety Company/Inland Insurance Company and the advisory board of U.S. Bank of Lincoln. He also is a member of the CFA Institute.