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Key people at Ameritas.
Based in Lincoln, Nebraska, Ameritas is a mutual financial services organization providing life insurance, annuities, retirement plans, wealth management, and employee benefits to individuals, families, and businesses. The enterprise serves approximately six million customers nationwide and reported a record three billion four hundred million dollars in total revenue alongside over 44 billion dollars in total assets for the 2023 fiscal year. Operating primarily through collected insurance premiums and investment income, the firm maintains an excellent financial strength rating from AM Best and holds AAA level capital adequacy according to Standard and Poor's models. Corporate leadership includes current President and CEO Sue Wilkinson, who recently succeeded former chief executive William Lester, alongside executive Bob Jurgensmeier. Ameritas was originally founded in 1887 by a group of five local community leaders as The Old Line Bankers Life Insurance Company of Nebraska.
Key people at Ameritas.
Ameritas is a mutual insurance and financial services company founded in 1887, headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, serving over 6 million customers with products including life insurance, annuities, disability income insurance, group dental/vision/hearing care, retirement plans, investments, asset management, and public finance.[1][5][6] As a mutual-based organization owned by Ameritas Mutual Holding Company, it prioritizes customer interests over shareholders, enabling long-term stability and organic growth alongside strategic acquisitions.[6][7] Its subsidiaries like Ameritas Investment Company (AIC), established in 1984, provide independent advisory and brokerage services, wealth management platforms, and support for financial professionals, emphasizing flexibility and holistic client solutions.[3]
While not a venture capital firm focused on startups, Ameritas influences the financial ecosystem through retirement plans, investments, and asset management, supporting individual and business wealth-building rather than direct startup funding.[3][5]
Ameritas traces its roots to 1887, when it was organized as a capital stock legal reserve life insurance company under the name Old Line Bankers Life Insurance Company of Nebraska (later Bankers Life Insurance Company of Nebraska until 1988).[1][2] It reorganized as a mutual company in 1949, entered the accident and health field in 1953, and expanded into group insurance by 1959.[2] Key milestones include the 1999 merger with Acacia Mutual Holding Company to form Ameritas Acacia Mutual Holding Company, the 2006 merger with Union Central Mutual Holding Company into UNIFI (renamed Ameritas Mutual Holding Company in 2012), and the 2014 merger of its credit unions.[1][2]
Affiliates like Ameritas Investment Company began as BLN Investment Corp. in 1984, evolving through name changes and the 2021 formation of Ameritas Advisory Services for fee-based advising.[3] Growth continued with acquisitions like BlueStar Retirement Services in 2021, reflecting a pattern of consolidation and expansion in insurance and financial services.[1]
Ameritas operates primarily in traditional insurance and wealth management rather than cutting-edge tech, but it intersects the tech landscape through digital financial services, retirement plan technologies, and asset management tools that leverage fintech for customer access and efficiency.[3][5] It rides trends like the shift toward holistic wealth management and fee-based advising amid rising demand for personalized retirement solutions in an aging population and volatile markets.[3][6]
Timing favors its mutual model in an era of distrust toward shareholder-driven firms, amplified by market forces such as low interest rates boosting annuities and regulatory pushes for transparent investing.[7] Ameritas influences the ecosystem by enabling financial advisors with tech-enabled platforms, indirectly supporting tech adoption in personal finance while maintaining a stable backbone for employee benefits in tech-heavy industries.[3]
Ameritas is poised for continued expansion through acquisitions and digital enhancements in wealth tech, potentially deepening fintech integrations for retirement and advisory services amid trends like AI-driven personalization and sustainable investing.[3][5] Rising demand for customer-centric financial products will shape its path, with its mutual structure providing resilience against economic shifts.
As a century-plus institution adapting via mergers like BlueStar, expect Ameritas to solidify its role in fulfilling life through innovative, stable financial strategies—proving that a 1887-founded mutual can thrive in tomorrow's tech-infused landscape.[1][6]
