She succeeds Kathleen Bromage, who is currently chief marketing and communications officer and head of the company’s Hartford Next transformation initiative. Bromage will remain in an advisory role and continue to oversee Hartford Next through the end of the year.
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“Claire’s outstanding industry experience and proven track record of achieving results position her well to lead marketing and communications for our iconic brand in an increasingly digital marketplace,” Swift said. “She is a strategic, visionary leader who is well-aligned with The Hartford’s culture and values, and her customer-focused mindset will serve The Hartford well as we continue to elevate our brand and reputation to drive business outcomes.”
Most recently, Burns served as chief marketing officer for Prudential International, overseeing brand, marketing, digital transformation, product management and business strategy, with a focus on accelerating the company’s growth in Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. Prior to that, she spent more than seven years at MetLife as chief customer officer and held leadership roles at ALICO (a former subsidiary of AIG), Lincoln Financial and Aetna.
Burns has a Bachelor of Arts in government from Wesleyan University and a Master of Business Administration from Yale University. She serves on the boards of Healthfirst and Alpha Community Services YMCA and on the board of advisors for the Yale Center for Customer Insights.
Since joining The Hartford in 2004, Bromage has held several senior leadership roles in marketing, strategy and digital. She has served as chief marketing and strategy officer for Small Commercial, chief marketing and strategy officer for Personal Lines and senior vice president of e-business. She’s been a tireless advocate for talent development, diversity, equity and inclusion as both a founding member of the Professional Women’s Network Employee Resource Group and an ongoing sponsor of the Young Professionals Employee Resource Group.
Swift added, “Kathy’s contributions to The Hartford have been wide-ranging, significant and enduring. As chief marketing and communications officer, she advanced our digital capabilities, led the evolution of The Hartford’s brand, philanthropy and sustainability initiatives, modernized the company’s customer research and feedback systems, and raised the strategic impact of communications across the enterprise. We are grateful for Kathy’s leadership and the positive impact she has had on our company.”
Source: Business Wire
