Prudential names Susan Somersille Johnson chief marketing officer

Award-winning CMO brings deep experience in technology and financial services to new role, joins with mandate to expand markets and drive business growth

NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) announced today that Susan Somersille Johnson will join the company as chief marketing officer, effective Oct. 5. Johnson will be responsible for leading the company’s global marketing and brand strategy and for helping to drive profitable growth for Prudential.

Johnson joins Prudential from Truist Financial, the bank holding company formed in 2019 following the merger of SunTrust Bank and BB&T, where she was corporate executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

“Susan is a transformational leader with the vision and experience to build on the brand equity that a storied company like Prudential already enjoys,” said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO, Prudential Financial. “We’re excited to see how Susan brings to life Prudential’s purpose, expertise and products for more people across the U.S. and around the world.”

Johnson began her career as an engineer at Apple before taking on a series of high-profile global marketing leadership roles at organizations including NCR Corporation and Nokia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering sciences from Harvard University and an MBA in finance from The Wharton School.

Johnson brings over 25 years of marketing experience to her new role at Prudential, along with several prominent accolades. She was included in the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America by Black Enterprise magazine two years in a row and named Marketer of the Year by Target Marketing Magazine in 2018.

Johnson will report jointly to Andy Sullivan, head of U.S. Businesses, and Scott Sleyster, head of International Businesses.

“Susan is, first and foremost, someone who understands how to drive business impact by deepening existing relationships while forging new connections with future customers,” said Sullivan. “Susan is also a skilled marketer who knows how to weave together insights, creative storytelling and advanced analytics in ways that motivate people to take action. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Prudential team.”

Sleyster commented: “Susan’s experience working across regions and markets, especially Japan, will be a valuable asset as we continue to build our global profile and support the growth strategies of our international businesses.”

Naveen Agarwal, who has served as chief marketing officer since 2019, will take on a new role as chief market development officer. Agarwal will focus on enabling the company’s growth in the U.S. by identifying and developing opportunities in adjacent business ecosystems, and by driving partnerships that complement and extend Prudential’s value proposition for individuals, businesses and institutional investors. Agarwal joined Prudential in 2015 as chief customer officer. He will be based in Silicon Valley, California.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial wellness leader and premier active global investment manager with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2020, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees help to make lives better by creating financial opportunity for more people. Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit news.prudential.com.