“I have always had an interest in finance, but I was never sitting around thinking I would go build a career in insurance,” she said. She worked for a while before obtaining her master’s degree in finance from Hamline University in 2011. She also pursued leadership roles at 3M and Wells Fargo, but there was an allure to the insurance industry. “I saw firsthand through my work how people’s lives are fundamentally changed for the better when they are protected against risks and have really strong financial security – and that’s not just for people who are wealthy, but really at all levels of our community,” she said. “I feel like I am doing something to help society and help people.” She also helps by sitting on an advisory board at the Opus College of Business. And Allianz Life has established internships with the Opus College and the Dougherty Family College at St. Thomas.
Julian continued her career journey at St. Thomas, rising through the ranks after obtaining her MBA from St. Thomas in 1998. About 25 years later, she was promoted to chief information officer – the first woman to hold the position at the University of St. Thomas. Julian is one of a handful of
St. Thomas alumnae who have made it to a C-suite position. The incoming Board of Trustees chair, Jodee Kozlak, also a St. Thomas alumnae, was the first woman chief human resources officer for Target Corporation, and its longest serving executive in the C-suite. While women make up 47% of all employed adults in the U.S. as of 2022, only one in four C-suite leaders of America’s top companies is a woman, according to an analysis by McKinsey & Co. Other studies show that adding women to the C-suite brings new perspectives and grows the bottom line. Having senior-level women helps to open the door for other women who can see what they can achieve at the organization or due to the support and advocacy they receive from other women higher on the ladder. Here’s a look at three alumnae in the C-suite and advice they give to climb the ladder. JASMINE JIRELE President and Chief Executive Officer, Allianz Life Jasmine Jirele says as a kid she made profit and loss statements to track the earnings from her frequent lemonade stands. A math whiz, she enrolled at St. Thomas at age 15. Living in a residence hall above the then-student center, she finished her bachelor’s degree in business and journalism in three years. “I was really lucky to have had great mentors and people who took me under their wing,” she said about being 18 when she started her career journey. She landed at Minnesota Mutual, now Securian Financial Group, doing marketing communications and market research. Today, Jirele is president and chief executive officer of Allianz Life, a role she assumed in summer 2021 after nearly 14 on-and-off years with the insurance provider. Karen Julian
Jasmine Jirele
Jirele’s Words of Advice “Breadth of experience matters,” said Jirele, who is the first woman CEO in the 125-plus year history of Allianz Life. “I have not been shy with raising my hand and demonstrating a willingness to try my hand at different jobs within the organization.” Seek out people who can be your sponsor within the company. Take initiative and ask for opportunities.
STTHOMAS.EDU
33
Powered by FlippingBook