COLUMBUS, Ohio — M. Marnette Perry, a Grange Mutual Holding Company board member since 2007, has accepted the leadership position of Board Chair, as David C. Wetmore ends nearly 30 years of service to the company’s board of directors. Wetmore had been serving as Chairman of the Board since 2012.
Perry chaired the Investment Committee before more recently chairing the Corporate Governance Committee and serving on the Executive and Compensation-HR Committees for Grange Mutual Holding Company. During her leadership of the Corporate Governance Committee, the board added the talents of Kathie Andrade, Suzan Kereere and Michael Fraizer.
“We’re honored to have Marnette Perry lead the Grange Mutual Holding Company board of directors as Board Chair,” said Grange Insurance President and CEO John Ammendola. “Her proven leadership experience, deep knowledge of our company and profound commitment to our policyholders make her the ideal candidate for this position. Marnette will be instrumental in stewarding the board’s governance and oversight to allow us to continue to be a high-performing success now and into the future.”
Perry most recently served as Senior Vice President and Officer of The Kroger Company, where she led eight retail divisions, spanning 20 states and employing over 100,000 associates. During her 44 years with Kroger, she held numerous leadership positions, including President of the Columbus division and President of the Michigan division.
Perry additionally serves on the board of trustees of The Ohio State University Foundation, the James Cancer Hospital Foundation, the Kimball-Midwest Advisory Board and the Chautauqua Institution Board of Trustees. She is a past trustee of Ohio University and Central Michigan University, a past board member of the Network of Executive Women and an emerita member of the Cincinnati Executive Women’s Forum. A distinguished business and community leader, Perry has been recognized as a YWCA Woman of Achievement in both Cincinnati and Detroit, as Woman of the Year by Crane’s Detroit Grant Thornton, and as one of Ohio’s Most Powerful Women in 2010.
Grange Mutual Holding Company members have also elected a new board director, Kathie Andrade.
Most recently, Andrade served as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Retail Financial Services at Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and led the business in providing banking, lending, insurance and investment solutions to five million retail customers. In 2016, she also led the $2.5 billion acquisition and integration of EverBank Financial Corporation, which led to the formation of TIAA Bank.
Andrade is a respected business leader known for her deep experience in financial services, operational excellence and design, technology strategy and deployment, and risk management.
“We are thrilled to have Kathie join the Grange Mutual Holding Company board of directors,” said Perry. “Her extensive knowledge and experience in the financial services industry, including operations, acquisitions and financial technology, will be a valuable asset to the board.”
Prior to TIAA, Andrade worked for Bank of America and its predecessor organizations for more than 20 years. There, she held various leadership positions including transition leadership roles during Bank of America’s acquisitions of Fleet, Merrill Lynch and U.S. Trust.
Andrade currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Brinks Company and Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. She was named one of the 25 “Most Powerful Women in Finance” by American Banker in 2015, 2016 and 2017, because of her strong advocacy for women in financial services and for achieving strong business results.
About Grange Insurance
Grange Insurance Company, with $3 billion in assets and more than $1.3 billion in annual revenue, is an insurance provider founded in 1935 and based in Columbus, Ohio. Through its network of independent agents, Grange offers auto, home, life and business insurance protection. Life insurance offered by Grange Life Insurance and Kansas City Life Insurance. Grange Insurance Company and its affiliates serve policyholders in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. Learn more about Grange Insurance.