internal
John F. Barrett
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer
Executive
16 yr
7 reports
Western & Southern Financial Group
Chairman, President, and CEO roles unified under one executive
Financials · Fortune #310 · Hybrid structure · 3K employees · Cincinnati, Ohio
7
CEO span
↓ tighter than peers (avg 10)
3.6
Avg span
moderate
2
Max depth
2 levels
4.4 yr
Avg tenure
71%
Internal hires
↑ above industry avg
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Western & Southern Financial Group organizational chart
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Chairman, president, and CEO roles are unified under one executive at Western & Southern Financial Group. This page maps the enterprise leadership structure, highlights CEO span of control, and compares the firm’s centralized model with major insurance peers.
What to model
Use the chart to test org decisions, not just view reporting lines
Start with the public baseline, then use the scenario views and source-backed changes to ask what happens when leadership, span, or team ownership shifts.
Latest signal Enterprise Operations changed role as Chief Operating Officer
Enterprise operations consolidated under a single COO role in 2025.
Source · See change logScenario views in the chart
- Add Chief AI Officer Introduce a Chief AI Officer to centralize data science and automation across insurance and investments.
- Separate Chair and CEO Roles Split the chairman and CEO roles to introduce stronger board-level oversight.
Atlas work this supports
- Connect Workday or UKG Get these analytics for YOUR org — tenure, span of control, headcount, automatically from your HRIS.
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- Plan a Reorg Use this as a starting point. Model scenarios, compare structures, present options to your board.
The people
Who's running this
8 executives identified as Named Executive Officers in the most recent SEC proxy. Bar length scales with tenure.
internal
Open Role
President, Life Insurance Segment
Life Insurance
6 yr
0 reports
Open Role
Chief Operating Officer
Operations
2 yr
0 reports
internal
Open Role
Chief Investment Officer
Investments
3 yr
0 reports
internal
Open Role
President, Investments & Asset Management
Investments
4 yr
0 reports
Open Role
Chief Financial Officer
Finance
1 yr
0 reports
internal
Open Role
Chief Human Resources Officer
Human Resources
5 yr
0 reports
internal
Open Role
Chief Legal Officer & Secretary
Legal
4 yr
0 reports
The businesses
How Western & Southern Financial Group divides the work
3 divisions report into the group CEO. Tile size scales with estimated headcount.
Life Insurance
1K employees
President, Life Insurance Segment (Open Role)
Provides life and annuity products through affiliated insurance companies.
Investments & Asset Management
600 employees
Chief Investment Officer (Open Role)
Manages the investment portfolio backing insurance liabilities and surplus.
Enterprise Operations
500 employees
Chief Operating Officer (Open Role)
Oversees policy administration, technology, and shared services.
The thesis
Why this org is unusual
Western & Southern Financial Group’s most distinctive feature is the consolidation of chairman, president, and CEO roles in a single executive.
This concentrates strategic authority with John F. Barrett, who directly oversees all major enterprise and business-segment leaders. The structure emphasizes centralized decision-making typical of a mutual insurer.
The CEO’s span of control includes functional chiefs and segment presidents, blending functional and enterprise lines. Investment management and insurance operations remain separate at the top level, reflecting the firm’s balance between insurance liabilities and long-term asset management.
- Unified chair/CEO role
- Enterprise-level investment oversight
The comparison
How Western & Southern Financial Group stacks up
Compared with other large mutual and stock life insurers, Western & Southern operates with a relatively small and centralized executive team. Peers such as Northwestern Mutual and New York Life also feature powerful CEOs, but often separate the chair role. Public peers like MetLife and Prudential show larger …
C-suite size
Western & Southern Financial Group
8
New York Life
9
12
Reporting depth
Western & Southern Financial Group
2 levels
4 levels
New York Life
4 levels
5 levels
5 levels
Avg C-suite tenure
Western & Southern Financial Group
4 yr
New York Life
7 yr
5 yr
Has COO / Has CAIO
Western & Southern Financial Group ✓ COO — no CAIO
New York Life ✓ COO — no CAIO
Current signals
What changed recently
In 2025, Western & Southern consolidated enterprise operations under a single COO.
- Date not confirmed reorgEnterprise Operations Chief Operating Officer
Enterprise operations consolidated under a single COO role in 2025.
Source
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the CEO of Western & Southern Financial Group?
John F. Barrett has served as Chairman, President, and CEO since 2009.
What type of organizational structure does Western & Southern Financial Group use?
The company uses a hybrid enterprise structure combining functional leaders and business-segment presidents.
How many direct reports does Western & Southern Financial Group's CEO have?
The CEO has seven direct reports across enterprise functions and major business segments.
How has Western & Southern Financial Group's leadership changed recently?
In 2025, the company consolidated enterprise operations under a single Chief Operating Officer.
Who reports directly to Western & Southern Financial Group's CEO?
Direct reports include the CFO, COO, CIO, Chief Legal Officer, CHRO, and segment presidents.
Sources
- Company Newsroom, 2025
Reference
Cite this page
If you reference this page in research, analysis, or news writing, use one of the formats below. Citation includes the SEC filing source where applicable.
APA 7th
Creately. (2026). Western & Southern Financial Group organizational structure. Creately. Retrieved , from https://creately.com/org-chart/fortune-500/western-and-southern-financial-group/MLA 9th
"Western & Southern Financial Group Organizational Structure." Creately, April 1, 2026, https://creately.com/org-chart/fortune-500/western-and-southern-financial-group/. Accessed .Chicago 17
Creately. "Western & Southern Financial Group Organizational Structure." Last modified April 1, 2026. https://creately.com/org-chart/fortune-500/western-and-southern-financial-group/.Permanent URL: https://creately.com/org-chart/fortune-500/western-and-southern-financial-group/ · last updated 2026-04-01