Prudential Financial — a Newark, New Jersey-based life insurer and asset manager with $1.6 trillion in assets under management — today announced that Andrew Sullivan will take over from Charles Lowrey as the company's CEO at the end of March.
Sullivan began working for Prudential in 2011 and is now the head of international businesses and global investment management.
Lowrey, who has been chairman as well as CEO, will continue to be chairman for 18 months.
Robert Falzon, the company's vice chairman, will retire in July, ending a 42-year career at Prudential, the company said.
Prudential said the shift is the result of a planned succession process. Michael Todman, the company's lead independent director, praised the work Lowrey has done to revamp the company's operations since he took over as CEO in 2018.
Lowrey began working for Prudential as the head of its real estate investors business in 2001. Like Sullivan, he was head of Prudential's non-U.S. operations when he was picked to be CEO.
While running Prudential, Lowrey has tried to reduce reliance on life insurance and annuity products that expose the company to significant market risk. The company has cut sales of some products and increased sales of other, easier-to-hedge products, such as registered index-linked annuities.