RADNOR, PA — Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE: LNC) is elevating artificial intelligence and data to the core of its business strategy with the appointment of Nilanjan “Neel” Adhya as executive vice president and chief AI, data and analytics officer, a newly created role that signals a sharper focus on technology-led transformation.
The company said Adhya will assume the role effective January 9, 2026. He will report directly to Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Ellen Cooper and join Lincoln’s senior management committee, placing AI and data governance squarely within the insurer’s top leadership ranks.
Adhya most recently served as chief digital officer and global head of digital platforms and experiences at BlackRock, where he led client-facing AI initiatives and oversaw the modernization of digital platforms designed to deliver more personalized and scalable customer experiences. Lincoln said his mandate will be to advance AI and data as enterprise-wide capabilities that improve speed, efficiency, and decision-making across the organization.
Cooper said the appointment reflects Lincoln’s effort to build foundational capabilities that support long-term growth and a more optimized operating model. She said AI and data are increasingly critical to generating insight and delivering measurable business outcomes, and that the company intends to take a disciplined approach under Adhya’s leadership.
Adhya brings more than 25 years of experience in technology, product development, and customer experience transformation. Before joining BlackRock in 2021, he spent 16 years at IBM, where he held multiple leadership roles and ultimately served as chief digital officer and vice president of digital transformation.
He holds an MBA in strategy and finance from Yale University’s School of Management and a master’s degree in industrial engineering and operations research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Adhya also serves on the Society for Human Resource Management’s board of directors and on the board of Purdue University’s Krenicki Center for Business Analytics and Machine Learning.
Adhya said his focus at Lincoln will be on applying AI and data in a targeted, practical way that supports the company’s strategy, improves how work gets done, and creates new opportunities for innovation across the enterprise.
The move positions Lincoln alongside a growing number of financial services firms formalizing AI leadership at the executive level, as insurers and asset managers race to harness data and automation while managing risk, governance, and regulatory scrutiny.
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