Through our insurance subsidiaries, we pursue a strategy of offering traditional insurance products in niche markets where we believe we are able to achieve competitive advantages.
Citizens, Inc. is an insurance holding company incorporated in Colorado serving the life insurance needs of individuals in the United States since 1969 and internationally since 1975. Citizens, Inc. is a publicly traded company that has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CIA) since 2002. Through our insurance subsidiaries, we pursue a strategy of offering traditional insurance products in niche markets where we believe we are able to achieve competitive advantages.
50 Years of Experience
Citizens operates through its insurance subsidiaries: CICA Life Insurance Company of America (“CICA”), CICA Life (“CICA Life”), which constitute the Life Insurance segment and Security Plan Life Insurance Company (“SPLIC”), and Magnolia Guaranty Life Insurance Company, which constitute the Home Service Insurance segment.
CICA Life and CICA Life of America issued ordinary whole life policies, final expense insurance, credit life and disability, and accident and health related policies, throughout the U.S.
Magnolia Guaranty Life provides industrial life policies through independent funeral homes in Mississippi.
Our vision statement carries with it responsibility for all who are associated with Citizens – our board, our employees and our independent consultants and agents. Citizens’ vision statement can be defined by our seven core values.
WE ARE committed to selflessly serve others by delivering financial security and peace of mind to individuals and families around the world.
INTEGRITY
We will build trust through fair, honest and ethical relationships by adhering to a strong moral compass.
PERSEVERANCE
We will steadfastly pursue our mission despite obstacles, difficulties or delays in achieving success.
EXCELLENCE
We will deliberately pursue high standards and are committed to achieving higher standards.
SELFLESS SERVICE
We promote the assistance of others, not for personal gain, but for the enhancement of others.
LEADERSHIP
We identify and take ownership of our areas of influence; guiding, developing and mentoring others along the way.
ACCOUNTABILITY
We are responsible for our actions and we accept the outcome of those actions.
COMMITMENT
With dedication we pursue this mission, vision, and core values to bring success to our employees, policyholders, shareholders, agents and associates.
President and CEO
Chief Financial Officer, Chief Investment Officer, and Treasurer
Chief Legal Officer & Secretary
BRYON MATTHEW LEWIS
Chief Operations Officer
PAULA GUERRERO
Chief Information Officer
SETH HOXWORTH
Chief Actuary
Jon Stenberg was appointed President of the Company in March 2024 and Chief Executive Officer of the Company July 1, 2024. Mr. Stenberg has been in the life insurance industry for over 30 years, most recently acting as partner of Blackbird International, consulting for several companies in the life insurance industry. He previously served as Executive Vice President of the lndividual Life Division of Symetra Life Insurance Company from 2017 through 2022; General Manager and Executive Vice President of Ameriprise Financial / Riversource Life from 2011 to 2017; Head of Retail Insurance and Senior Vice President of New York Life from 2008 to 2010; Head of Insurance and Executive Director / President of UBS Insurance Agency from 2006 to 2008; various positions with Lincoln Financial Group from 1997 to 2006; and various positions with Aetna’s life division from 1990 to 1997. In addition, Mr. Stenberg served as ACLI Chair of the Life Insurance Committee from 2020 to 2022 and on the American College Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2020. He holds a ChFC, FLMI with distinction (formerly FINRA series 6/63/7/26/24). Mr. Stenberg is a Veteran of the U.S. Army.
Jeffery P. Conklin joined the Company in May 2017 and serves as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Investment Officer and Treasurer. Mr. Conklin has also served as Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer of the Company since September 2017, and Chief Investment Officer since March 2019. Prior to assuming his current positions, Mr. Conklin served as Interim Chief Financial Officer from March 2019 to September 20, 2019, and Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer from May 2017 to September 2017. Mr. Conklin came to the Company with over 20 years of life insurance and financial reporting experience, having worked at American International Group, Inc. from 2004 to 2017 in various capacities, including Vice President of Financial Reporting and Vice President of Special Projects. In addition to financial reporting, Mr. Conklin brings the Company expertise in budgeting, financial analysis and implementation of strategic accounting initiatives.
Ms. Kinlaw is the Chief Legal Officer of Citizens, Inc. She has 20+ years of experience as senior level and general counsel for public and private companies in primarily the financial products and technology industries. She has led cross functional teams with respect to securities, finance, M&A, governance, compliance and general corporate matters. She has been senior level in-house counsel with 2 publicly traded companies – FIC Insurance Group (Austin) and THQ (Los Angeles), as well as General Counsel at Fallbrook Technologies (Austin).
Prior to joining Citizens as Chief Legal Officer, Ms. Kinlaw built her own law practice acting as dedicated outsourced general counsel or specialized counsel for companies without the resources to hire full-time counsel, or for companies that need to supplement their in-house legal staff. Clients included both insurance carriers and independent marketing organizations that distribute insurance products.
Ms. Kinlaw holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics / International Studies from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas, Austin.
Bryon Matthew Lewis was appointed as an Executive Officer of the Company in March 2024. He has served as Vice President, Operations since November 2021 and as an Operations consultant for the Company from July 2021. Mr. Lewis is an operations and technology senior leader who prior to joining Citizens was the IS Director of HP Infrastructure and Planning at Baylor Scott and White Health from 2019 to 2021 and AVP of IT Operations from July 2017 to 2019, and prior to that served as Project Engineering Director at E2Open from December 2013 to 2017.
Guerrero is an accomplished information technology innovator and leader. She joined Citizens in 2021 as a Vice President of Information Technology. Through the company’s strategic roadmap, Guerrero drives technology as a crucial enabling function in the insurance sales cycle and delivers exceptional agent and customer experience.
Before joining Citizens, Guerrero was IT Director-Health Plan Integration and Software Development at Baylor, Scott & White Health. She delivered key projects and change initiatives through the Company’s reinvigorated IT strategy. She has served as Assistant Vice President of Application Services at FirstCare Health Plans. Baylor, Scott & White Health acquired FirstCare Health Plans in January 2019. She also served as Senior Manager of Engineering at Accruent, Software Development Manager at Mitratech, and Lead Software Developer at BMC Software.
Guerrero holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Administration, with a dual major in Information Systems and Finance, cum laude, from Kettering University.
Seth Hoxworth was appointed Chief Actuary of Citizens, Inc., in January 1, 2026. Since joining Citizens in January 2025, Seth has demonstrated exceptional leadership, collaboration, and a strong commitment to strengthening and supporting our actuarial function. His ability to lead with integrity and clarity has already made a meaningful impact across our organization.
With nearly two decades of experience in insurance spanning operations, risk management, reinsurance, and financial reporting, alongside deep expertise in life, annuity, long-term care, and health products, Seth brings a wealth of knowledge to guide the team through a smooth and thoughtful transition. His commitment to excellence and steady leadership will be instrumental in driving Citizens toward continued growth and success in the years ahead.
We are implementing our enduring value customer-centric growth strategy, in cooperation with our Board of Directors. In doing so, we are focused on our core strengths, as we strategically realign our Life and Home Service Insurance segments. We anticipate significant transformation with an emphasis on people, processes and technology. In our current operational environment, change is seen as a positive and is now taking root in our culture, creating the best atmosphere for value creation and value capture for all our stakeholders.
MICHAEL HARWOOD
PETER CARLSON
SEAN MCLAUGHLIN
JON STENBERG
Mr. Harwood is a seasoned and dedicated actuarial professional with decades of success in actuarial management, team development, organizational structuring, and directing large complex projects involving multidisciplinary teams. During his 10 years at Corebridge Financial / AIG Life & Retirement, he served as SVP and Chief Actuary of AIG Life & Retirement from 2013 to 2021, playing an integral role on the leadership team in charge of spinning off Corebridge Financial. He then served as an SVP at Corebridge Financial through 2023. Prior to that he was the SVP and Chief Actuary at MetLife from 2004 to 2013 where he led valuation, actuarial staff, DAC amortization, and experience studies, plus high-impact projects, which included Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, corporate governance, subsidiary integration and the efficient use of capital. Mr. Harwood’s extensive actuarial and insurance experience in managing large-scale projects, navigating complexity and leading multi-disciplinary teams brings valuable oversight to the Board as the Company continues its efficient capital product growth strategy.
Christopher (Chris) W. Claus Mr. Claus had a 20-year career as an executive at USAA of San Antonio, Texas serving in various roles, including Executive Vice President of USAA’s Enterprise Advice Group from 2013 to 2014, President of USAA’s Financial Advice and Solutions Group from 2007 to 2013, and President of USAA’s Investment Management Company from 2001 to 2006.
Mr. Claus is an experienced executive with insurance and asset management expertise critical to the success of our Board. In his role as Chairman of our Investment Committee, Mr. Claus has strengthened the Board’s oversight of the Company’s assets under management. Further, having served as President of USAA’s Investment Management Company, Mr. Claus strengthens the Board’s oversight function of our executive team’s strategic initiatives.
Mary Taylor Ms. Taylor is a Certified Public Accountant and recognized tax and auditing expert with over 30 years of experience in the public and private sector. Since February 2020, she has served as the Vice President, Operations and Finance at Northeast Ohio Medical University. During 2019, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Welty Building Company and from August 2019 through March 2020 also served as the Chair of the Finance and Operations Advisory Committee.
She has served in the following elected positions: • 2011 to 2019 – Lieutenant Governor of Ohio ◦ Served as the Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance from 2011 to 2017 • 2007 to 2011 – Auditor of State of Ohio • 2003 to 2006 – State Representative in Ohio ◦ Served on the Finance, Ways and Means, and Education Committees
Ms. Taylor has extensive experience in transforming operations, implementing automation in insurance and delivering results in complex tax cases with the IRS and the Department of Labor. Her unique mix of experience gives her a valuable perspective and ability to oversee management’s efforts to grow and develop Citizens’ business and its interactions with regulators as well as the ability to enhance shareholder value by leveraging her financial and risk management expertise and deep understanding of the insurance business.
Mr. Carlson served as director and CEO of Spectral AI, a predictive AI company focused on medical diagnostics in wound care, from February to October 2024 and CFO in January 2024 until his appointment as CEO. Prior to Spectral AI, he served as CFO of MiMedx Group, Inc., a pioneer and leader in the advanced wound care space, where he led numerous strategic, financing, operational initiatives that helped stabilize and strengthen the company for its next chapter of growth. Prior to MiMedx, Mr. Carlson served as Chief Operating Officer at Brighthouse Financial, Inc., and played an essential role in establishing Brighthouse as a separate public company after its spin off from MetLife, where he worked for eight years as Chief Accounting Officer. Previously, Mr. Carlson was the Controller at Wachovia Corporation and an audit partner for a Big Five accounting firm, Arthur Andersen LLP. Mr. Carlson serves as a Board Member and Chair of the Audit Committee at White Mountains Insurance Group and as a Trustee for Wake Forest University where he also serves on the Audit Committee and Athletics Committee. Mr. Carlson’s experience as CEO and CFO for smaller life sciences companies, while having 30 years’ experience at Fortune 50 global financial service institutions and as a Big Five audit partner brings a strategic viewpoint and analytical skill set to the Board to help drive quality decision making. He is a CPA and has audit experience, which adds value to the Company’s audit committee and oversight of risk and financial statements.
Cynthia H. Davis Ms. Davis is a seasoned executive in the life insurance industry with over 30 years of underwriting in both the carrier and brokerage side. She is currently the Vice President and Senior Underwriting Consultant at NFP/Partners Financial providing underwriting expertise specializing in complex high net worth cases, foreign nationals and offshore insurance. Previously, Ms. Davis was the Chief Underwriter at Financial Industries Corporation (FIC) and Great American. Ms. Davis is also involved with the Texas Wide Underwriting planning board.
Ms. Davis’ brings to the Board deep knowledge of the insurance industry, which she developed during her long and successful career in the life insurance industry. With significant global experience with both reinsurers and high net worth foreign insureds, she adds valuable and unique expertise to our Board.
Mr. McLaughlin is an accomplished CEO and strategist with more than 20 years experience in life insurance and retirement across multiple business lines and geographies: the United States, Asia and Latin America. He is currently a managing partner of Oculus Partners, a management consulting firm founded in 2008 that is focused on institutional retirement, asset management, and life insurance clients. Prior to managing Oculus, Mr. McLaughlin worked for Prudential Financial from 2009 through February 2025, where he served in several roles, including President and CEO of Prudential Life Insurance of Mexico from June 2022 through February 2025, Senior Vice President of Strategy for Prudential International Insurance Services from June 2021 through May 2022, President and CEO of Prudential Life Insurance of Taiwan from November 2019 through June 2021, and Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Prudential Life Insurance of Korea from 2017 through 2019. Mr. McLaughlin also served as president of the board for Prudential Mexico and a member of the board of Prudential Taiwan while leading those companies. Mr. McLauglin’s deep insurance experience across the United States, Asia and Latin America brings valuable experience to the Board as his experience aligns with the Company’s geographic footprint and growth strategy.
Since 2017 Citizens Inc. has been dedicated to donating to the Central Texas Food Bank located here in Austin. They are an amazing organization that’s mission is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger. The Central Texas Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief charity in Central Texas.
We understand the impact that we can have by supporting the Central Texas Food Bank, an organization that focuses on getting food for the people in our community who need it. Every year our team members look forward to promoting a food bank collection event at our corporate location in Austin, TX where we collect a significant number of items for donation. In addition, we make a significant donation to the Central Texas Food Bank each year.
In addition, our organization supports a variety of local charities in Louisiana area throughout the year.
Find out more about our company and how to join the team!
You are now leaving the Citizens, Inc. website
