Experienced leadership. Proven results.
Deanna Mulligan
Deanna Mulligan is the Chief Executive Officer at Ceres Life and a transformational leader in the insurance industry, known for driving growth and innovation. As former CEO and Chairman of Guardian Life, she led the company through more than a decade of substantial expansion and introduced forward-thinking initiatives, including a digital insurance marketplace. Now at the helm of Ceres Life, Deanna leverages her deep industry relationships and regulatory expertise to build a modern life insurance company.
She has served on the boards of DuPont, Vanguard, Arch Capital, and Ethos Financial. Deanna holds a B.S. with High Distinction from the University of Nebraska and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Erik Askelsen
Erik Askelsen is the Chief Legal Officer at Ceres Life, where he leads the Legal and Compliance functions. He brings a diverse background spanning the insurance, legal, and technology sectors. Erik previously served as General Counsel for insurance companies focused on fixed annuities, Chief Legal and Operating Officer at a technology and payments firm, and a partner at two law firms specializing in corporate and insurance law. He holds a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Iowa and a J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law.
June Guan
June Guan is the Chief Actuary at Ceres Life, bringing over 20 years of experience in the life and annuity insurance sectors. She specializes in asset-liability management (ALM), enterprise risk management (ERM), reinsurance strategy, and capital optimization. June works closely with the investment and finance teams to align pricing and reserving strategies with regulatory requirements and long-term objectives. She is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). June holds an M.S. from Brigham Young University and a B.S. from Peking University.
Carrie Marlatt
Carrie Marlatt is the Chief Financial Officer at Ceres Life, with deep expertise in corporate finance, strategic planning, and capital management. Her career spans finance leadership roles across the insurance sector, following her early experience in auditing and investment banking. Carrie holds a B.S. from Boston College and an MBA from the University of Chicago, and she is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in New York.
Tom Olds
Tom Olds brings over two decades of insurance and financial-services experience focused on data- and technology-driven value creation to his role as Chief Innovation Officer at Ceres Life. He drives development of the company’s AI-native vision, bridges business and technology, and drives transformative data and digital initiatives—drawing on a proven track record that includes creating the Enterprise Data Analytics function at Guardian Life and founding a Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Services firm.
Tom holds a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from the University of Toronto, and he earned the Chartered Financial Analyst and Fellow of the Society of Actuaries professional designations.