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The Hartford Names First Corporate-wide CIO

The Hartford's Brian O'Connell has been named the company's first corporate-wide senior vice president and chief information officer.

In a move that will see the Hartford, Conn.-based carrier install a chief information officer with oversight across the enterprise for the first time in its history, The Hartford has named Brian O'Connell as senior vice president and CIO.

In his new role, O'Connell will oversee technology across the carrier's life and P&C insurance divisions, as well as The Hartford's investment management group. He will be responsible for developing and implementing a centralized, enterprise-wide IT strategy in support of the corporation's business goals.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jack Crawford held a similar role within the company but, according to The Hartford, he did not officially have the CIO title.

O'Connell will report to The Hartford's president and COO, Tom Marra. "A cross-company, integrated approach to technology management will provide us with a more efficient and effective strategy to meet our goals," Marra said in a press release. "Brian will provide the necessary leadership and technology vision to ensure that we are not only executing today, but are forward thinking in terms of what our customers will need and expect from us in the future."

The appointment of O'Connell to the enterprise CIO position comes a little over a month after the retirement of John Chu, The Hartford's senior vice president, e-business & technology.

O'Connell's appointment is effective October 6. Before being appointed to his new role, O'Connell served as CIO of the carrier's life operations. Prior to joining The Hartford's life operations in 2007 as vice president of information technology management, O'Connell spent 25 years at Accenture, most recently as managing director of both the firm's North American and Asian life insurance group, and its North American Technology Work Group.

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