Craig L. DeSanto

Chair, President & CEO

Craig DeSanto is Chair, President & CEO of New York Life Insurance Company, the nation’s largest mutual life insurer and one of the largest life insurers in the world.

New York Life, a Fortune 70 company, provides insurance and investment solutions to millions of individuals, families and businesses, and manages more than $800 billion in assets through New York Life Investment Management. For more than 180 years, the company’s mutual structure has enabled a long-term focus on policy owners, delivering financial security and peace of mind for generations. The company is consistently recognized among the most admired in the industry and as a top workplace.

Mr. DeSanto has been with New York Life for more than 25 years, beginning his career as an actuarial summer intern. Over the course of his tenure, he held leadership roles across several of the company’s businesses. In 2020, he led the acquisition of New York Life’s group life and disability business, the largest in the company’s history.

Mr. DeSanto was appointed a member of New York Life’s Board of Directors in 2021, became the company’s 19^th chief executive in 2022 and chair of the Board of Directors in 2023.

Since becoming CEO, Mr. DeSanto has driven New York Life’s evolution from a life insurer to a broader financial services company, focused on meeting clients’ protection, retirement and wealth needs. He has strengthened the company’s advice-based distribution model, enabling its 12,000 financial professionals to deliver more holistic guidance to clients. He has prioritized investments in technology and data to improve client experiences and the company’s operations, while fostering a more agile, innovative culture and sustaining record levels of employee engagement.

His first four years as CEO have produced record sales, earnings and surplus, as well as record dividends paid to policy owners — with earnings growth of 60 percent.

Mr. DeSanto serves on the Executive Committee of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) and on the board of Partnership for New York City.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University.

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