Unum Group Headquarters in Chattanooga, TN
Shelia Anderson Leads Digital Future at Unum
Unum Group, a global leader in workplace benefits with a legacy spanning over 175 years, has announced Shelia Anderson as its new executive vice president and chief information and digital officer. The company, which offers a wide range of services through its Unum and Colonial Life brands including disability, life, dental and vision insurance, generated $12.9 billion in revenue and delivered $8.0 billion in benefits in 2024.
Anderson began her new role on April 28, 2025, assuming leadership of the Digital Transformation Organization (DTO). The DTO is responsible for delivering cutting-edge technology solutions designed to enhance growth and deepen customer engagement. She reports directly to Unum president and CEO Rick McKenney.
“Our commitment to innovation enables us to advance our purpose of helping the working world thrive throughout life’s moments,” said McKenney. “The addition of Shelia to our executive team continues to accelerate our digital strategy, enhancing both customer and employee experiences. She brings deep expertise and a clear strategic vision to fully leverage technology for the benefit of our customers.”
Unum’s Shelia Anderson
Anderson said she was drawn to Unum Group’s strong market position in the group benefits space, as well as its focus on technology as a strategic enabler. “Unum Group’s thriving culture and reputation as a leader in employee benefits first captured my interest, and I continue to be impressed by the way the company is leaning into innovation, investing in technology and enhancing customer satisfaction,” Anderson emphasized.
Now 11 weeks into the role, Anderson has focused on listening, learning and laying the foundation for a multi-year digital transformation strategy. “One of the biggest things I’m doing is spending time learning the business to make sure we anchor our technology initiatives back to what matters most,” she said. She seeks ideas that are truly differentiating, including enhancing broker experience, evolving core products and driving more value through a robust digital ecosystem.
She also cited Unum’s leadership team and particularly McKenney’s embrace of technology as a major draw. “There’s a clear message from the top down that technology matters,” she noted with excitement. “It’s part of the culture Rick is building here. That trust and support are already evident and energizing.”
Anderson joined Unum following a nearly three-year tenure as CIO of Aflac. Prior to that, she held senior roles at Liberty Mutual, USAA, Hewlett-Packard and Electronic Data Systems. Her career has consistently focused on streamlining operations through integrated IT frameworks and advancing digital capabilities. Her recent work includes adopting emerging technologies such as AI and cloud, with a particular emphasis on data-driven platforms and claims automation.
As she shapes the next chapter of Unum’s technology journey, Anderson is applying a holistic lens across people, process and technology. “I’m looking closely at our enterprise architecture to ensure it’s strategically aligned and optimized for the future,” she noted. “I’m also beginning a talent assessment to make sure we have the right people, skills and roles to carry us forward.”
The foundation for this work includes a long-term operating model that supports run, grow and transform capabilities. “We need to invest in growing the business while managing our run operations efficiently,” she said. “That means building a flexible workforce, improving architecture health and strengthening our overall technology ecosystem.” Key priorities moving forward include accelerating AI innovation and data-driven value creation, with an early focus on customer-facing use cases. “We’re already doing a lot with emerging capabilities like gen AI to drive value for customers,” Anderson said. “Partnering with our head of strategy, we’re doubling down on that.”
She also plans to explore how Unum can better harness ideation from across the company. “We want to improve how we capture and scale innovation internally,” she said. “There’s a big opportunity to better leverage data as a strategic asset to unlock insights and improve outcomes.”
“There’s an amazing culture here,” she added. “The strength of the leadership team and the alignment I’ve seen across the organization are incredibly impressive. I feel fortunate to join a company where the people are not only talented, but also fully invested in building something extraordinary together.”
Peter High is President of Metis Strategy, a business and IT advisory firm. He has written three bestselling books, including his latest Getting to Nimble. He also moderates the Technovation podcast series and speaks at conferences around the world. Follow him on Twitter @PeterAHigh.
