MetLife Announces Leadership Changes

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) today announced a series of leadership changes. All new appointments are effective July 1, 2022.

After a distinguished career spanning corporate leadership and consultancy roles – including more than a decade with MetLife – Kishore Ponnavolu, Regional President, Asia, will step down effective June 30, 2022, and return to the U.S. to explore the next chapter in his career. Ponnavolu joined MetLife in 2011 as Chief Enterprise Strategy Officer where he helped develop the company’s global strategy. In 2013, he assumed leadership of MetLife Auto & Home, overseeing the launch of numerous initiatives to improve product, distribution, and customer focus. For the past three and a half years, Ponnavolu has led the Asia region, guiding digital transformation efforts across mature and emerging markets and delivering outstanding results.

Succeeding Ponnavolu will be Lyndon Oliver, Executive Vice President, Treasurer and head of Strategy. Oliver will join MetLife’s Executive Leadership Team and report to President and CEO Michel Khalaf. Oliver has more than three decades of insurance industry experience. He has lived and worked in Hong Kong, Tokyo and the U.S., where he held executive, finance and strategy roles for MetLife, AXA, AIG, Hartford Life and ING. Oliver joined MetLife in 2010 through the acquisition of Alico, where he had been CFO for the AIG Life Companies in Japan and Korea. During his time with MetLife, he served as CFO across many markets and businesses – Asia, EMEA and Group Benefits in the U.S. – before assuming the role of Treasurer and, most recently, the head of Strategy.

John Hall, MetLife’s Senior Vice President and head of Investor Relations, will become Executive Vice President and Treasurer for MetLife, in addition to his current responsibilities. Throughout his 32-year-career, Hall has held various roles as an insurance equity analyst that have given him an in-depth perspective on the financial workings of the insurance industry. Hall will continue to report to Chief Financial Officer John McCallion.

Dimitri Lorenzon, Senior Vice President and head of Strategy, Product and Marketing for MetLife Japan, will become head of Strategy for MetLife as well as Chief Financial Officer for MetLife’s Global Technology & Operations organization. Lorenzon brings more than 25 years of experience in global life insurance organizations to this new role, including expertise in product development, risk management, and investments. He joined MetLife through the Alico acquisition and has held various strategic leadership roles in the Japan business.

Danny Garver, Vice President and Chief of Staff for the Office of the CEO, will take on the additional responsibility of leading MetLife’s Next Gen initiative, which aims to prepare MetLife for the future through insight into emerging and disruptive opportunities. Garver joined MetLife in 2016, and she has played a key leadership role in the implementation of MetLife’s Next Horizon strategy.

“I am grateful to Kishore for his significant contributions to MetLife throughout his tenure; these appointments showcase the depth and breadth of leadership talent at MetLife and our deep commitment to building a robust leadership pipeline,” said Khalaf. “I am confident that Lyndon, John, Dimitri and Danny will excel in their new and expanded roles and help create significant customer and shareholder value.”