Our leadership team

Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer

In her role, Mary has oversight over multiple State Farm areas including Human Resources and Development, Administrative Services, Public Affairs, Corporate Responsibility and Diversity & Inclusion.

Mary joined State Farm in 1984 and has served in a variety of executive leadership positions including Assistant Vice President – Planning & Analysis, Vice President Operations – P&C, Vice President Operations – Human Resources and Senior Vice President. She assumed her current position in 2017.

She received a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Illinois State University.

Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

Paul has responsibility for the Property & Casualty and Financial Services Product lines and for Enterprise Technology. Currently, he also leads enterprise transformation work to position State Farm® for future growth.

Paul joined State Farm in 1988, working in a variety of Finance and Operational positions. Since 2009, Paul has been a member of senior leadership, serving in various roles such as Chief Financial Officer, EVP – Property & Casualty and EVP – Technology & Innovation.

He received a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and is a graduate of The General Managers Program at Harvard Business School.

Senior Vice President & Chief Digital Officer

Fawad Ahmad joined State Farm® in 2016 to lead digital strategy development and execution for the company as Vice President – Digital. In 2017, Fawad was promoted to Senior Vice President of Enterprise Technology and earned the additional title of Chief Digital Officer in 2019. He leads Customer Experience for State Farm, including the data science, analytics, and software design and experience teams who deliver and optimize end-user apps for customers, agents and employees.

Prior to joining State Farm, Fawad led business and digital strategies and transformations at other Fortune 500 organizations, including Staples and eBay. He has also provided legal, compliance and corporate oversight work for financial services organizations like Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and U.S. Bank. Fawad earned his juris doctor degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Southeastern University.

Connect with Fawad on LinkedIn

Senior Vice President and Chief Agency, Sales & Marketing Officer

Kristyn has leadership responsibility for the State Farm Agency Force that is 19,000+ strong and for Marketing.

Kristyn joined State Farm® in 1999 and worked in marketing and financial services before becoming a State Farm agent in Chicago, IL, in 2007. She returned to corporate in 2010 and served in a variety of leadership roles. She was named Senior Vice President – Agency & Marketing in 2019 before assuming her current position in January 2023.

Kristyn received a bachelor's degree in Policy Studies from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the Syracuse Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She is a proud alumni of the Syracuse Women’s Basketball team. She completed the General Management Program at the Harvard Business School in 2017 and was named Class Speaker, the first American female in the program’s history.

Connect with Kristyn on LinkedIn

Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

As CFO, Jon has responsibility for financial reporting for the State Farm organization, including leadership of Enterprise Research, Financial Operations, Investment, Labs @ State Farm and the Ventures Office and co-leads the Corporate & Business Development department. He has more than 25 years of experience with State Farm and within the insurance and financial services industry.

Jon joined State Farm in 1993 and has served in a variety of executive leadership positions including assistant vice president – securities products, assistant vice president – planning & analysis, vice president – financial operations and operations vice president – underwriting. He assumed the role of senior vice president, treasurer and CFO in January 2016.

He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Illinois State University and earned his MBA from the University of Michigan.

Senior Vice President – P&C Claims

As Senior Vice President – P&C Claims, Wensley has overall responsibility for the State Farm® claims operation.

Wensley joined State Farm in 1991 as an Auto Claim Representative in St. Paul, Minnesota. He has held leadership positions in a broad range of areas, overseeing teams that provide simplified claim experiences for our customers. He assumed his current role in 2021.

Wensley received a bachelor's degree from Concordia College, an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and completed the Executive Development Program at The Wharton School.

Senior Vice President and General Counsel

As SVP and General Counsel, Steve has overall responsibility for the Law department, including the Corporate Law division, which handles litigation, legislative and regulatory affairs, and legal counsel provided to the organization; and the Claim Litigation Counsel division, which provides insurance defense representation to State Farm policyholders through 38 offices around the nation.

Steve joined State Farm in 1985 and has served in a variety of leadership positions. He assumed his current position in 2016.

A native of New Jersey, Steve received a bachelor's degree from Kean University, an MBA from the University of Arkansas, and a Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. Steve is a member of the McLean County, Illinois and New Jersey Bar Associations.

Senior Vice President – Financial Services

Joe Monk joined State Farm® in 1985 and became an agent in 1986. From 1993 to 2001, he served in a variety of field sales management positions. He held several positions in the company’s home office from 2001 to 2005, including Vice President – Life Operations and Vice President – Financial Services. Joe served as Vice President – Agency in the Pacific Northwest from 2005 to 2008, when he was promoted to Operations Vice President – State Farm Life. He became Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Life/Health in April 2010 and was named Vice President of Mutual Funds in December 2010. In 2017, Joe was named President and Chief Executive Officer of State Farm Bank®. He oversaw the deregistration of State Farm Bank in 2021.

Joe is a member of the Board of Directors of State Farm Life Insurance Company, State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company, and State Farm Annuity and Life Insurance Company. He serves as Director and Senior Vice President for both State Farm Investment Management Corp. and State Farm VP Management Corp. Joe attended Missouri State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in finance/insurance.

Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer

Ashley Pettit joined State Farm® in 1991 and held a variety of Information Technology positions including Software Developer, Security Analyst, Business Analyst, Manager, Director, Assistant Vice President and Vice President within the Systems Department. Along the way, she was also a Director in the Human Resources Business Office. In 2017, she was promoted to Senior Vice President in Enterprise Technology, and she earned the additional title of Chief Information Officer in 2019. Committed to continuous innovation and adaptation, Ashley’s future-focused approach merges business with technology to enhance State Farm technical platforms and personalize customer experiences.

Ashley earned her Bachelor of Science degree in finance and management information systems from Southern Illinois University and her Master of Science in management degree from The American College.

Senior Vice President

Michele joined State Farm® in 1989 and has served in executive leadership positions in Claims, Human Resources, and Corporate Learning and Development. She has current responsibility for Executive Succession and Development. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington.

Senior Vice President – Property & Casualty

Chris is responsible for helping State Farm® achieve profitable growth, delivering new products and capabilities on behalf of customers, and leading the underwriting, actuarial, modeling, billing and call center associates who deliver remarkable customer experiences every day.

Chris joined State Farm in 1990 and became a State Farm agent in 1994, serving the community of Cincinnati, Ohio. After returning to company leadership, he held a variety of executive positions, overseeing aspects of the State Farm agency sales force. Most recently, he provided the vision and strategic direction for profitable growth for more than 3,100 agents and agency leaders across 14 states. Chris was named to his current role in 2019.

A native of Ohio, Chris received a bachelor's degree in marketing from University of Dayton and a master’s degree in business from Ohio University.

Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer

In her role, Cathy leads Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance, Information Security and the Flight Department. She coordinates with State Farm business-area risk owners to identify, report and measure significant risks while evaluating the processes in place to manage these risks. Cathy has more than 35 years of experience within the insurance industry.

She joined State Farm in 1983 and has served in a variety of executive leadership positions including Operations vice president, Finance vice president and assistant vice president of Planning and Analysis. In 2012, Cathy assumed her current role of Chief Risk Officer.

Cathy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accountancy and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Connect with Cathy on LinkedIn