Liddy To Leave Allstate Chair This April

Allstate Chairman Edward M. Liddy will retire at the end of April and will be replaced by President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas J. Wilson, the company said.

Mr. Liddy has been with Allstate since 1994 and played a key role in the company's initial public offering and spin-off from Sears, Roebuck and Co. in 1995. Mr. Liddy was Allstate's president and chief operating officer from 1994-1998, chairman and chief executive officer from 1999-2006, and chairman since January 2007.

When he takes over as chairman, the company said Mr. Wilson will continue in his roles as president and chief executive officer.

Mr. Liddy's retirement and replacement by Mr. Wilson is part of the company's leadership transition plan that began in 2006, Allstate said. Rich Halberg, Allstate spokesman, said the plan was essentially a phase-in transition where Mr. Wilson slowly took over responsibilities as Mr. Liddy moved closer to retirement.

In a statement, Mr. Wilson said: “Ed Liddy made an indelible mark on Allstate. Under his leadership, Allstate helped millions of Americans better protect themselves from life's uncertainties and prepare for a better retirement, and he did so while generating strong returns to Allstate's shareholders. It's been my pleasure to work with Ed and learn from him.”

The company also announced that Dan Hale, senior vice president and chief financial officer, and Joan Crockett, senior vice president of human resources, will retire March 31. They will be replaced respectively by Samuel Pilch and James DeVries.

Mr. Pilch is currently group vice president and controller at Allstate. Mr. DeVries is joining Allstate from Principal Financial Group, where he served as senior vice president of human resources.