Unum Group
Leadership History
4 leaders · 1999 to present
Rick McKenney is the CEO of Unum, in the role since 2015. The first chief executive was J. Harold Chandler, from 1999.
| Name | Role | From | To | Years in role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven A. Zabel | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | 2019 | Present | 7 |
| Rick McKenney | President and Chief Executive Officer | 2015 | Present | 11 |
| Thomas R. Watjen | President and Chief Executive Officer | 2003 | 2015 | 12 |
| J. Harold Chandler | Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer | 1999 | 2003 | 4 |
Unum distributes most of its products through employers and benefits brokers, so its growth depends on employer sales, persistency, and payroll growth at existing clients. FY2025 total revenue was about $13.08 billion and net income was $738.5 million, down from $1.78 billion in 2024. In the second quarter of 2026 Unum reported total revenue of about $3.37 billion, net income of $256.9 million ($1.61 per diluted share) and after-tax adjusted operating income of $346.0 million ($2.16 per diluted share). The company is headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Unum Group sells financial protection products through the workplace. It earns insurance premiums and fee revenue across three core businesses: Unum US, Colonial Life, and Unum International (the UK and Poland). Its main lines are group long-term and short-term disability, group life and accidental death and dismemberment, voluntary accident, critical illness and life coverage, and dental and vision, paid either by employers or by employees through payroll deduction. Unum also charges for leave and absence administration (Total Leave) and earns net investment income on the bond and mortgage-loan portfolio that backs its claim reserves. A separate Closed Block holds legacy long-term care and individual disability policies that no longer take new business.
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
2019 – Present
7 years (current)
Zabel managed the critical divestiture of Unum's highly volatile legacy closed-block individual disability business, freeing up massive amounts of capital for share repurchases.
As CFO, he strictly enforces the company's conservative capital reserves while aggressively optimizing the balance sheet to offset the impact of long-term low interest rates.
President and Chief Executive Officer
2015 – Present
11 years (current)
McKenney joined Unum as chief financial officer in 2009 and became president and CEO in 2015, overseeing the focus on core workplace benefits, leave management, capital returns, and the reinsurance of legacy long-term care reserves.
President and Chief Executive Officer
2003 – 2015
12 years
Watjen became chief executive of UnumProvident in 2003 and settled the multistate investigation into its disability claims handling.
He rebuilt the balance sheet and renamed the company Unum Group in 2007. Rick McKenney succeeded him in May 2015.
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
1999 – 2003
4 years
Chandler, who had led Provident, became chief executive of UnumProvident after the 1999 merger.
The company faced lawsuits and regulatory investigations over disability claim denials. The board removed him in March 2003 and Thomas Watjen succeeded him.
Unum faces pressure from disability-claims trends, reserve assumptions in its legacy long-term care block, reinsurance economics, interest-rate movement, employment cycles, insurance regulation, broker competition, and credit quality in its investment portfolio.
Key leaders include Colin Hampton (1969–1986, who led demutualization), James F. Orr III (1987–1999), J. Harold Chandler (1999–2003), Thomas R. Watjen (2003–2015), and Richard P. "Rick" McKenney (May 2015–present).
Colin Hampton transformed Union Mutual from a sleepy regional mutual life company into a specialized disability leader, culminating in orchestrating the historic 1986 demutualization that launched UNUM on the NYSE.
James Orr oversaw UNUM's aggressive expansion through the 1990s, acquiring Colonial Life in 1993 and entering the UK market before negotiating the 1999 mega-merger with Provident Companies.
Former Provident CEO J. Harold Chandler led the merged UnumProvident, but was ousted by the board in March 2003 amid declining share prices, claims controversy investigations, and post-merger integration friction.
Tom Watjen took over during a corporate crisis, successfully negotiated the 2004 multi-state regulatory settlement, overhauled claims adjudication ethics, renamed the firm Unum Group in 2007, and restored financial solvency.
Before joining Unum as Chief Financial Officer in 2009, Rick McKenney served as CFO of Genworth Financial and senior executive at General Electric, establishing a reputation for actuarial discipline and balance sheet strength.
McKenney led the transformation of Unum into a technology-driven benefits leader with Total Leave, expanded dental/vision capabilities, repurchased billions in stock, and orchestrated the multi-billion-dollar Fortitude Re long-term care reinsurance deals.
Steven Zabel, a veteran insurance financial officer, serves as Executive Vice President and CFO, guiding capital allocation, investment portfolio yield optimization, and reinsurance execution.
Kevin T. Kabat, former CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp, serves as independent Chairman of Unum Group's Board of Directors, ensuring independent oversight, risk monitoring, and alignment with institutional investors.
Under McKenney, Unum transitioned 98% of its workforce to remote work within days, processed record surges in short-term disability and life insurance claims seamlessly, and supported employers through unprecedented workforce disruption.
Executive compensation is heavily tied to operational metrics: after-tax adjusted operating earnings per share, core premium growth, return on equity (ROE), and risk-adjusted capital generation.
A philosophy centered on purpose and financial resilience: fulfilling Unum's sacred promise to be there for working families on their worst days, while maintaining conservative balance sheet strength to protect policyholders through all economic cycles.
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