Lincoln Financial (NYSE: LNC) today announced the appointment of Nilanjan (Neel) Adhya as Executive Vice President, Chief AI, Data and Analytics Officer (CAIDAO), effective January 9, 2026. In this newly created role, Adhya will advance AI and data as enterprise core capabilities. He will report to Ellen Cooper, Chairman, President and CEO, and will join Lincoln’s Senior Management Committee.
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Neel Adhya; Source: Lincoln Financial
Since 2021, Adhya served as Chief Digital Officer and Global Head of Digital Platforms and Experiences at BlackRock, where he orchestrated client-facing AI initiatives and modernized the firm’s digital approach to deliver personalized and integrated at-scale customer-centric capabilities.
“As we continue to position Lincoln for future growth, we are building the foundational capabilities that will allow us to operate with greater speed, efficiency and insight. AI and data play an increasingly important role in supporting the optimization of our operating model,” said Ellen Cooper, Chairman, President and CEO of Lincoln Financial. “Under Neel’s leadership, we will take a thoughtful and disciplined step forward in leveraging AI to support business needs and drive tangible business outcomes.”
Adhya brings to Lincoln a 25-year track record of leading results-oriented product and customer-experience driven business transformations.
Prior to joining BlackRock, Adhya spent 16 years at IBM in various leadership roles, ultimately serving as Chief Digital Officer and Vice President of Digital Transformation. Adhya holds an MBA in Strategy and Finance from Yale University’s School of Management and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He serves on the Society for Human Resource Management’s Board of Directors (Strategy and Governance Committees) and on the Board of Directors of Purdue University’s Krenicki Center for Business Analytics and Machine Learning.
“I am honored to join Lincoln. Our opportunity is to apply AI and data in a focused, disciplined way that directly supports our strategy – enhancing the experience we deliver to customers, improving how work gets done and opening new pathways for innovation,” said Adhya. “This is about building enduring capabilities that accelerate our work, support growth and deliver value for clients, policyholders, shareholders and our employees.”
About Lincoln Financial
Lincoln Financial helps people confidently plan for their vision of a successful financial future. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 17 million customers trust our guidance and solutions across four core businesses – annuities, life insurance, group protection, and retirement plan services. As of September 30, 2025, the company had $347 billion in end-of-period account balances, net of reinsurance. Headquartered in Radnor, PA., Lincoln Financial is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE: LNC) and its affiliates.
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