Ismat Aziz Joins Kemper as Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Administrative Officer

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kemper Corporation (NYSE: KMPR) announced that Ismat Aziz has joined the company as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Chief Administrative Officer. Aziz will report to Joseph P. Lacher, Jr., Kemper President and CEO, and will be based at Kemper’s headquarters office in Chicago.

Aziz will be responsible for Kemper’s compensation and benefits, talent acquisition, talent management, employee relations, and learning and development. She will also have oversight for diversity, equity and inclusion, communications, branding and corporate philanthropy.

“I’m pleased to welcome Ismat to our leadership team in a key role to help us advance our human resources strategies and policies in an era of high growth for Kemper,” said Lacher. “She brings deep expertise in talent development, change management, operational efficiency, and a proven ability to lead HR in a growing organization. Ismat will help us ensure we continue to build an agile culture of diversity, inclusivity and personal growth, while attracting and retaining the talent to meet the evolving needs of our stakeholders. I’m confident that her leadership will have a significant impact on Kemper’s growth and success.”

Aziz has over 25 years of HR experience, most recently serving at U.S. Bank as Chief Advocacy Officer and prior to that, CHRO, where she was responsible for the human capital strategy including talent acquisition and development, performance management, compensation and benefits, and employee relations. Previous roles include CHRO for Sprint, CHRO for Sam’s Club, and senior HR roles at Sears Canada, Inc. and MDS Pharmaceuticals. She holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and a BA (Honors) from the University of Toronto.

Aziz serves as an Executive Leadership Fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, and is an Executive in Residence at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, where she is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council. Aziz serves as a board member for several organizations including the Foundation board of Children’s Minnesota Hospital.

Aziz will take on the CHRO role from Christine Mullins, who previously announced her retirement. After their transition, Mullins will remain at Kemper working on special projects.

About Kemper

The Kemper (NYSE: KMPR) family of companies is one of the nation’s leading specialized insurers. With $14.1 billion in assets, Kemper is improving the world of insurance by providing affordable and easy-to-use personalized solutions to individuals, families and businesses through its Auto, Personal Insurance, Life and Health brands. Kemper services over 6.3 million policies, is represented by more than 30,000 agents and brokers, and has over 9,400 associates dedicated to meeting the ever-changing needs of its customers. Learn more about Kemper.