OneAmerica Names Rich Ellery as General Counsel

OneAmerica^® today announced the promotion of Richard (Rich) M. Ellery as the company’s general counsel and senior vice president. Ellery started with OneAmerica in 1996, as an intern, and most recently served as senior deputy general counsel.

 As general counsel, Ellery will be responsible for the legal demands of OneAmerica, including  merger and acquisition activity; corporate governance; class action defense; significant ERISA litigation; general commercial conflict resolution; extensive domestic and international reinsurance arbitration matters; state and federal regulatory compliance; and general corporate legal management.

His career began with a summer legal internship; he became a legal associate in 1997. He was promoted to attorney after graduating from the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis law school, now known as the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, and passing the bar. He earned an undergraduate degree in political science from Purdue University.

“Rich’s rise from intern to executive-level officer is no surprise to anyone who knows him,” said Scott Davison, chairman, president and CEO of OneAmerica. “In this key leadership role, he’ll continue to serve OneAmerica with his considerable business talents and legal acumen. We’re lucky to have him.”

Ellery’s career has combined legal and business expertise. His early work focused on benefits and the real estate investment area. He later moved to the securities business, as primary legal and compliance counselor for the Broker Dealer entity of OneAmerica. In 2012, he was promoted to president of OneAmerica Securities, and served on the senior team of the company’s Individual Life and Financial Services division.

In November 2015, he was promoted to senior deputy general counsel, after he completed Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to more broadly serve OneAmerica and its growing business,” said Ellery. “It’s been an amazing experience, working my way up from intern to general counsel, and I’m looking forward to the years to come.”

Ellery succeeds Thomas (Tom) M. Zurek as general counsel. Zurek, now senior chief legal counsel, in addition to executive vice president and secretary, plans to retire in 2019. As part of an orderly transition, Ellery has shadowed Zurek for the past two years and will report to Zurek until his retirement is effective.

Zurek is a member of the executive council, an ex officio member of the board of directors and secretary for all board and corporate functions. He started at OneAmerica in 2002, and earlier served as executive vice president and general counsel for the American General Life companies.

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About OneAmerica^®
A national leader in the insurance and financial services marketplace for 140 years, the companies of OneAmerica help customers build and protect their financial futures.

OneAmerica offers a variety of products and services to serve the financial needs of their policyholders and customers. These products include retirement plan products and recordkeeping services, individual life insurance, annuities, asset-based long-term care solutions and employee benefit plan products.

Products are issued and underwritten by the companies of OneAmerica and distributed through a nationwide network of employees, agents, brokers and other sources that are committed to providing value to our customers. To learn more about our products, services and the companies of OneAmerica, visit www.OneAmerica.com/companies, the OneAmerica Newsroom or follow @OneAmerica on Twitter.