Christopher J. Swift

Christopher J. Swift is the CEO of Hartford Financial Services Group Inc (HIG). Swift expanded the company’s capabilities and geographic reach through organic growth and strategic investments. This includes the purchase of Aetna’s U.S. group life and disability business in 2017 and The Navigators Group, Inc., a specialty lines property and casualty business, in 2019. He also completed the company’s exit from the run-off life and annuity business, providing greater financial flexibility and improving Hartford’s return on equity and earnings growth profile.

 Swift has been a champion of Hartford’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, resulting in the company’s leading board diversity, improved executive representation and top-ranked company culture. 

The company is a 2023 Catalyst Award winner, listed on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index and was named a 2022 Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. 

In addition to his leadership within Hartford, Swift has promoted DEI within the broader business community. He was an early signatory to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge and serves on the Governing Committee for its Racial Equity Fellowship initiative. He is also a Catalyst CEO Champion for Change and has signed on to Paradigm for Parity, a coalition of business leaders committed to achieving gender parity at leadership levels by 2030.

Swift remains at the forefront of CEOs discussing the need for public-private partnerships to address mental health and addiction in the workplace. He continues to encourage business leaders to support public policy reforms and create open, inclusive work environments that dispel the stigma that blocks treatment and recovery.

Swift, who was named CEO in 2014, was the driving force in the company’s transformation, resulting in a more focused, disciplined leader in property and casualty, group benefits, and mutual funds. He expanded the company’s capabilities and geographic reach through organic growth and strategic investments, including the purchase of Aetna’s U.S. group life and disability business in 2017 and The Navigators Group, Inc., a specialty lines property and casualty business, in 2019. He also completed the company’s exit from the run-off life and annuity business, providing greater financial flexibility and improving The Hartford’s return on equity and earnings growth profile.

As a long-time advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Swift is the foremost champion of The Hartford’s DEI initiatives, resulting in the company’s leading board diversity, improved executive representation, and top-ranked company culture. The company is a 2023 Catalyst Award winner, listed on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, and named as a 2022 Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. In addition to his leadership within The Hartford, Swift has promoted DEI within the broader business community as an early signatory to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge and serving on the Governing Committee for its Racial Equity Fellowship initiative. He is also a Catalyst CEO Champion for Change and has signed on to Paradigm for Parity, a coalition of business leaders committed to achieving gender parity at leadership levels by 2030.

Swift remains at the forefront of CEOs discussing the need for public-private partnerships to address mental health and addiction in the workplace. He continues to encourage business leaders to support public policy reforms and create open, inclusive work environments that dispel the stigma that inhibits treatment and recovery.

As The Hartford’s CEO, Swift is proud of our company’s legacy of making a positive impact in our communities and is strongly connected to the neighborhoods and businesses throughout our hometown. As a vocal advocate among the business community, he champions the City of Hartford’s revitalization and our company’s initiatives that advance equal economic, educational, and workplace opportunities for our neighbors.

In addition to his work at The Hartford, Swift is committed to making an impact on important issues, serving on many boards where he can make a difference. He serves on the board of directors for Citizen’s Financial Group, Inc., and the executive committee and the board of directors of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. He also is a member of The Business Council, Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose, Council on Foreign Relations, and The Geneva Association

Swift joined The Hartford in March 2010 as executive vice president and chief financial officer. In that position, he played a central role in the company’s strategic transformation to focus on the property & casualty, group benefits, and mutual funds businesses. He was also instrumental in strengthening the balance sheet through the sale of its individual life and retirement plans businesses and reducing debt.

Previously, Swift held senior leadership and finance roles at American International Group (AIG). He began his career as a certified public accountant at KPMG LLP focused on financial services and was eventually appointed head of the Global Insurance Industry Practice.