Thasunda Brown Duckett is the President and CEO of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), effective May 1, 2021.
She succeeds Roger Ferguson, who announced his retirement from TIAA in November 2020, after a 13-year run as CEO.
Personal Attributes and Interests
- She lives in Connecticut with her husband and four children.
- Born in Rochester, New York. She later moved to Texas with her parents.
Work Experience
Ms. Duckett was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of Chase Consumer Banking and is a member of the firm’s Operating Committee.
She oversaw a banking network with more than $600 billion in deposits, 5,000+ branches, 16,000+ ATMs and 50,000 employees serving 25 million households nationwide. Previously, Duckett was the CEO of Chase Auto Finance, and prior to that served as National Retail Sales Executive for Chase Mortgage Banking.
Ms. Duckett began her career at Fannie Mae, leading affordable housing initiatives for people of color.
Board and Advisor Roles
Ms. Duckett serves on the boards of Nike, Inc., Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and the Children’s Learning Center of Fairfield County, CT. She is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Hankamer School of Business.
She was the executive sponsor of JPMorgan Chase’s Advancing Black Pathways program, aimed at helping Black Americans close historical achievement gaps in wealth creation, educational outcomes and career success.
She was also a member of the steering committee for JPMorgan Chase’s Women on the Move initiative to advance women in their careers and in business, and the executive sponsor of the firm’s The Fellowship Initiative, which offers young men of color academic and social support to help them achieve personal and professional success.
Accolades
Ms. Duckett has been recognized widely as a leading executive in finance.
- In 2019, she was named one of Fortune's Most Powerful "Women to Watch."
- American Banker magazine named her the 7th Most Powerful Woman in Banking.
- She was also named to Black Enterprise magazine's Most Powerful Women in Corporate America list.
Philanthropy
She’s the founder of The Rosie and Otis Brown Foundation, in honor of her parents, to recognize and reward people who use ordinary means to empower and uplift their community in extraordinary ways.
Education
Ms. Duckett holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing from the University of Houston, and an MBA from Baylor University.