Allstate CEO named U.S. Chamber of Commerce board vice chairman
NORTHBROOK - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors elected Allstate Corp. Chairman and CEO Thomas J. Wilson as the board's vice chairman.
Wilson succeeds John L. Hopkins, chairman and CEO of NuScale Power LLC, and will serve a one-year term.
Wilson has served as CEO of Allstate since 2007 and became chairman of The Allstate Corp.'s board of directors in 2008.
"We are pleased to welcome Tom, a leading thinker on the changing role of the corporation and its relationship to society," said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber. "At Allstate, Tom does business in and is regulated in all 50 states and works on a bipartisan basis to protect the 16 million households his company serves. His thorough understanding of the impact of public policy on business and the economy will no doubt serve our organization well. We value his record of active engagement on issues that matter to the American business community and look forward to the pragmatic vision he's sure to bring to the table."
Wilson has held a number of senior executive positions at Allstate since 1995. Under his leadership as CEO, Allstate weathered two storms, the financial crisis and a significant increase in severe weather, while achieving good profitability and strong shareholder returns over the past five years. The company is among the country's large investors in public infrastructure and in business. Wilson's vision is to ensure Allstate is a model of what the successful corporation will be in the future.
"Corporations have the capabilities, people, and resources to bridge long-standing divides and make a positive difference in the world," said Wilson. "It is an honor to be asked to help the Chamber since I believe that businesses can, should, and must do more to help shape a better future for all Americans."
Wilson holds leadership positions within the financial services industry and the community. He is a board member of State Street Corp. and the Financial Services Roundtable, where he is a past chairman. He is also a member of the Property and Casualty CEO Roundtable and Financial Services Forum, as well as the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. Wilson's opinion pieces about timely business and policy topics have been published in the New York Times, Washington Post and CNN.com.
A native of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, Wilson holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Michigan.