ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joan Gabel, president of the University of Minnesota, was elected to the Securian Financial board of directors at the company’s December board meeting. She will assume her role as a director on January 1, 2023.

“As the leader of one of the largest and most important institutions in our home state, Joan Gabel is a strong addition to the Securian Financial board of directors. We welcome her and look forward to benefiting from the unique perspectives and experiences she will bring to the company’s governance team,” said Chris Hilger, Securian Financial’s chairman, president and CEO.

Gabel is the 17th president of the University of Minnesota, an institution spanning five campuses serving 67,000 students, with a faculty and staff of 27,000 and an annual budget of $4.2 billion.

She joined the university as its new president in 2019. Under her leadership, the University of Minnesota has developed a systemwide strategic plan that is driving research and solutions for students in the classroom and beyond; advancing community, equity, and diversity; quantifying the university’s outreach and corporate engagement efforts; and cultivating efficiency and transparency.

From 2015 to 2019, Gabel was executive vice president for academic affairs and provost for the University of South Carolina. Previously, she held various leadership roles in the business schools at the University of Missouri, Florida State University and Georgia State University—including serving as chair of Florida State’s Department of Risk Management/Insurance

Gabel earned a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law. Her current board service includes the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Minneapolis Saint Paul Regional Economic Development Partnership, and the Council on Competitiveness.