As of November 2, 2026, The Hartford’s Data and AI organization now reports to Chief Information Officer (CIO) Shekar Pannala. Jeffery Hawkins, Chief Data, AI and Operations Officer, will leave at year-end. Operations will report to Chief Claims Officer, Stephen Deane.¹
In August, New York Life went the other way, hiring a chief AI officer in a role separate from its CIO.
Carriers are split on how to organize AI leadership. Some give AI its own executive; others fold it into the technology organization. Whichever structure a carrier chooses, the next step is deciding who will be accountable for the results AI is expected to deliver.
Model One: A Dedicated Data and AI Leader
Until now, The Hartford followed this model: one executive oversaw data, AI and operations, while technology remained under a separate purview.¹ New York Life runs this model today. In August, the company hired Zhen Zhao (previously Global Head of AI Platform at Chubb) as Chief AI Officer, a role separate from CIO Deepa Soni.³
This structure gives AI a senior owner, a place at the leadership table and a close connection to the operational areas where many AI use cases arise.
The challenge lay at the boundary with the CIO. Responsibility for data platforms, architecture, vendors and technology risk spans both sides. Without written decision rights, projects could end up with two sponsors and delays from conflicting priorities.
Model Two: AI Inside the Technology Organization
At The Hartford, Pannala continues to report to Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift, who hands the CEO role to Mo Tooker on March 1, 2027. Tooker, President and CEO-elect, said the change will help the company “more effectively embed advanced analytics and emerging technologies into the way we serve customers.”¹
Prudential made a similar change in October, expanding Robert Sala’s role from leading technology for its U.S. businesses to CIO for U.S. Businesses and Enterprise Functions. He will oversee technology strategy, delivery, architecture and technology risk across its U.S. businesses and enterprise functions.²
This structure removes the boundary between technology, data and delivery by placing all three under one leader. But it also creates a risk. AI could become a technology program judged by the projects it delivers, while another leader remains responsible for the business case.
The Gap Both Models Share
“An organizational chart clarifies who is responsible for the systems,” said Jay D’Aprile. “Results need a clear owner, someone whose bonus is tied to the numbers.”
– Jay D’Aprile, Executive Vice President
Neither organizational chart identifies who owns business results. Lower loss costs, faster claims processing, better retention and lower expense ratios are reflected in business unit performance, yet the AI leader and CIO rarely own those outcomes.
The Hartford’s split suggests one approach. AI reports to technology, while operations report to a business leader who already owns a customer outcome.¹ This puts the systems and the results under different leaders, making the handoff between them as important to design as the chart itself.
Three Decisions Before Hiring an AI Leader
Before beginning a search, a carrier should resolve three points:
Results owner. Name the business leader accountable for each major AI use case and include a related target in that leader’s plan.
Decision rights. Document who makes decisions about data platforms, vendors, architecture and model risk. Share the division of responsibilities with both teams.
Leadership profile. Hire a leader suited to the chosen model. A dedicated AI leader needs business credibility and a seat at the table with business heads. If AI sits within technology, the CIO must lead delivery and connect it to business outcomes.
Many searches drift at the profile stage. AI, data and technology leaders make up the largest category of Slayton Search Partners’ recent insurance searches.
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As AI moves from pilot projects into core operations, carriers will keep redrawing these lines, and the organizational chart will change again. Naming an owner for results is the step to get right the first time.
SOURCES
¹ The Hartford leadership changes announcement, October 14, 2026 (The Hartford); The Hartford combines data, AI and technology operations, October 14, 2026 (Business Insurance) | ² Prudential Financial expands Robert Sala’s role to Chief Information Officer, October 21, 2026 (CDO Magazine) | ³ New York Life hires Chubb’s AI platform head as chief AI officer, August 7, 2026 (Insurance Business)
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