Executive new hires and promotion announced at National Guardian Life Insurance Company

National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is pleased to announce it hired two new executives, Marita LaChapell and Tim Schaefer and promoted Jessica Grann.

Jessica Grann, former Assistant Vice President and Director of Corporate Communications, has been promoted and is leading a new function as Chief of Staff and Vice President of Brand and Corporate Communications. Grann joined NGL in 2004 and has led the marketing communications team and managed all aspects of the NGL brand. She has more than 20 years of broad marketing experience encompassing strategic planning, creative design, media planning and purchasing, direct marketing, public relations and sales promotions.

In her new role she joins the executive team in advancing NGL’s mission to make NGL’s brand more visible in the insurance industry and consumer marketplace by engaging partners, agents, employees and policyholders.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to expand my role to promote NGL and our brand. NGL has a strong story to share and a great team of people who support it. It is an exciting time at NGL, we plan to launch a new brand and logo that will show our strong history and dedication to people. It’s been over 50 years since NGL updated its logo and I am thrilled to be a part of this positive change,” shared Grann. 

Grann holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in Communications and Public Relations. She is also a strong supporter of Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, through her daughter’s Izzy’s Books for Wishes campaign. Her family has helped grant six wishes to children over the past three years.  

Marita LaChapell joined NGL in the newly created position of Vice President of Internal Consulting. As a CPA, LaChapell has a background and expertise in financial management across a wide variety of industries. In addition, during her 30-year career she broadened her leadership footprint by designing and implementing enterprise/information systems, compensation strategies, advising clients regarding their personal financial planning, growing advisory sales teams and driving organizational change through continuous improvement, Lean, Six Sigma and Operational Excellence programs.

She will lead NGL’s Lean Leadership program, coordinate organizational strategic planning and develop an approach to ensure effective project prioritization. As an internal consultant, LaChapell will be active in tackling the challenges and opportunities NGL will face as it continues to grow and be a leading employer in Madison. 

“NGL is special place, an organization with great history, strong position in its industry and dedicated people who enjoy making a difference. It’s exciting to be able to join NGL at this juncture, knowing that together, we will have an opportunity to capitalize on that strength and help shape the future. NGL is a place where I can contribute while continuing to learn and experience new things,” said LaChapell.

LaChapell is the Founder and CEO of ALIGN Financial, a consulting firm that works with clients, teams and executives to improve profits, engage people and increase impact through each company’s unique purpose.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Michigan Technological University in public accounting, specializing in information systems. She is a Certified Public Accountant, Personal Financial Specialist, Certified Long-Term Care Consultant, and Certified Kingdom Advisor. Additionally, LaChapell earned a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt in 2009 by leading organizational cultural transformation.

LaChapell is also a professional speaker dedicated to eliminating financial illiteracy. She is a global volunteer for Habitat for Humanity International and serves as a Board member for the Missouri Baptist Foundation. She has also served on the Board of Directors for Gateway Region YMCA and Rotary International.

Tim Schaefer joins NGL in the new role of Senior Vice President & Chief Digital Officer. In his career, he has been a transformative leader in building and leading large, complex organizations spanning operations, technology, digital, marketing and analytics.

In his role at NGL, Schaefer will be leading customer experience, data and analytics, and enterprise architecture. Schaefer will also oversee relationships with emerging technology partnerships and develop NGL’s digital vision and roadmap.

“I am excited to join NGL because of its long-term commitment to focusing on the needs of its policyholders and its position as a leader in the market. I look forward to leading the digital transformation of the company to better serve its customers and partners with innovative solutions and a differentiated experience.”

Schaefer’s prior role was Managing Director of Lake Hill Advisors where he worked with organizations on the opportunities and challenges of digital transformation. Prior to that he spent more than 30 years at Northwestern Mutual, where he held several progressively more senior positions in technology and operations. He led a number of change efforts including rebuilding the digital consumer experience which increased users from 150,000 to 1.3 million.

Schaefer holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in information systems from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master of Science degree in Management and Organizational Behavior from Silver Lake College. Schaefer is an Executive-in-Residence at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Lubar School of Business where he teaches courses in eBusiness and strategic management. He has also served on the Boards for University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Foundation and Next Door Milwaukee.

About NGL

Established in 1909 National Guardian Life Insurance Company is an insurance company headquartered in Madison, Wis. Licensed to do business in 49 states and the District of Columbia, NGL markets preneed and individual life and annuities, as well as group markets products. Information about NGL can be found at www.nglic.com; Facebook: Facebook.com/NGLIC and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-guardian-life-insurance-company.

National Guardian Life Insurance Company is not affiliated with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America a/k/a The Guardian or Guardian Life. 

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