Ellen Cooper is the new CEO of Lincoln Financial Group, Radnor. She is its first female CEO, making her one of just 44 women leading a Fortune 500 company, writes Jeff Blumenthal for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Cooper succeeds Dennis Glass, who was CEO for 15 years.

She was also vaulted to the board of directors at the life insurance/retirement investment company.

Cooper became CEO-elect in August 2021 and has been a Lincoln executive for 10 years. She was most recently chief investment officer, heading up the enterprise risk and annuity solutions group. She also sat on the Lincoln Financial Foundation board.

Glass has now moved onto chairmanship of Lincoln Financial’s board. Current board chairman William H. Cunningham is now the lead independent director.

Cooper, 56, a Temple University graduate, came from Goldman Sachs Asset Management as managing director and global head of insurance strategy. She joined Lincoln Financial in 2012.

She developed and executed Lincoln Financial’s general and separate account investment strategy, overseeing $300 billion assets. She also managed the company’s hedge program.

She is the tenth president and CEO of Lincoln Financial Group.

Read more in the Philadelphia Business Journal about Ellen Cooper.