The long and steady road

It’s been a great rise to the top from someone who started at Securian as a college intern. Kristin has enjoyed every step of her career journey and fondly remembers her internship. “It was great. People were so welcoming. They wanted you here, and they included you and gave you projects that mattered.”

She joined the company full-time a year later in the Annuity Financial Reporting department and moved to Corporate Actuarial in 2006, where she worked on many enterprise risk management initiatives. In 2015, she was named chief financial officer and actuary, first for Individual Life and Annuity and then for Wealth Management Group. She was promoted to second vice president in 2019 and vice president in 2022. She was named senior vice president in charge of Individual Solutions in November 2023.

“Did I ever think I would be a senior vice president? No,” she said. “I thought I’d get my FSA (Fellow of Society of Actuaries) and be a more analytical actuary. But the company has continued to invest in me and pull more out of me than I thought possible. Throughout my career, I’ve had the great benefit of leaders, mentors and co-workers that helped me develop into a human centered leader.”

Inspiration and motivation

She has stayed motivated and inspired over the years by a deep desire to make an impact. “I love the opportunities at Securian to be part of something bigger than yourself. We truly succeed as a team, and I very much enjoy and am inspired by the ways we come together to make an impact for our associates, customer and channel partners.”

Giving back to the community

Not only does she give a lot to work, Kristin also gives back to the community. As someone with economics and mathematics degrees from Iowa State University, Kristin is enthusiastic about improving financial literacy.

She’s actively working to do that as a board member for the Minnesota Council for Economic Education (MCEE), a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring all Minnesotans have the economic and personal finance knowledge and skills to make informed decisions and thrive in our complex world. Kristin joined the MCEE board in March 2021 and currently serves as treasurer and finance committee chair.

Other non-profit work includes her service as a board member of The American College of Financial Services, an organization committed to fostering an environment that enables all students and leaners to accelerate through knowledge, grow through connections, and uplift the community.

Kristin also keeps busy with her family, which includes her husband of 18 years and her two teenage sons. She enjoys travelling, cooking, reading, walking in nature and participating in Bible studies.

"I have so much to be thankful for,” she said and advocates for practicing gratitude. “You must be able to fill up your soul and keep balanced – whether that is through family, friends and a balance of energy that keeps you firing on all cylinders.”