Julie McPeak. (Courtesy photo)
USAA, an insurance carrier for members and veterans of the U.S. military, said that it's bringing on Julie McPeak, a former state regulator official, as general counsel for insurance.
McPeak, who joined Monday, also will serve as senior vice president. Since September 2020, she has served as senior deputy general counsel for insurance company Root Inc.
She spent time as an insurance regulator in both Kentucky and Tennessee and was commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance for eight years and executive director of the Kentucky Office of Insurance. She was the first woman to hold the position of chief insurance regulator in more than one state.
Her experience also includes serving as a shareholder and founding member of the Nashville office of Greenberg Traurig and as of counsel for Burt & Forman.
"We're excited to have a leader of Julie's caliber join our team," USAA Chief Legal Officer Bob Johnson said. "Her deep legal and industry experience makes her the perfect fit for USAA as we build on our 100-year legacy of serving military families and maintain our strength as one of the largest insurance providers in the nation."
According to USAA spokesman Roger Wildermuth, McPeak will replace Karen Morris, senior vice president and general counsel of P&C Group.
Although she is retiring in July after more than 11 years with USAA, Morris has stayed with the insurer to help ensure a smooth transition, Wildermuth said, adding there is intentional overlap between Morris and McPeak's duties.
USAA, formally known as the United Services Automobile Association, is one of the nation's largest insurers and provides other financial services to more than 13 million members. Based in San Antonio, USAA employs more than 38,000 people worldwide.
Hugo Guzman
Hugo Guzman is a reporter on ALM's in-house desk based in California, covering legal departments at disruptive technology companies, as well as labor and employment issues involving the NLRB, EEOC and other regulators. Connect with him at [email protected] today.