Members Only: Betsy Palmer, Chief Marketing Officer, Life & Retirement, AIG

Betsy Palmer is a marketing and public relations leader with years of experience in driving impactful programs in a variety of industries, including financial services, global consulting, telecommunications and the government. In her current role as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, AIG Life & Retirement, Palmer has responsibility for all marketing, communications, stakeholder management, industry thought leadership, sponsorship and brand positioning activities across the business. In August 2020, she led the successful launch of the AIG Life & Retirement brand, celebrating the important role played by financial professionals. Palmer joined AIG in 2019 from TIAA, where she had been Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer since 2010. In this role she served as the chief spokesperson for TIAA, leading corporate communications, media relations, digital reputation and social media strategy, influencer relations and thought leadership. Palmer played a key role in the 2016 rebranding of TIAA, which involved the development and launch of a holistic, integrated program that employed public relations, advertising and social media in a “paid, owned and earned” environment. She developed communications strategies to strategically reposition TIAA’s expansive global asset management business. She also led all marketing and communications for the 100th year anniversary of TIAA in 2018, including a highly interactive social media campaign to celebrate “Difference Makers.” Palmer also led the team responsible for creating and executing strategic digital and social media approaches and programs to enhance TIAA’s reputation with key stakeholders, including influencer relations, which leverages the power of third-party advocates and TIAA employees to help strengthen the company’s brand. She also spearheaded the creation of innovative thought leadership programs, such as the groundbreaking financial education initiative with the Council of Graduate Schools, which is helping improve financial acumen of undergraduate and graduate students. Prior to joining TIAA, Palmer was with EY, where she led marketing and communications for the firm’s global consulting organization. Previously, she was executive vice president for marketing and communications at BearingPoint, where she built a global communications team that delivered high-impact programs to increase client satisfaction and improve employee engagement during the financial crisis of 2008-2009. Betsy is a crisis communications expert, having successfully managed corporate reputations in times of hostile CEO transitions, employee kidnappings, corporate bankruptcies and prolonged shareholder activism. Before BearingPoint, Palmer was vice president of public relations at AT&T where she led public advocacy strategies for the company’s acquisition by SBC and subsequent acquisition of Bell South. Over the course of her career, she also served three U.S. Secretaries of Energy and was a special assistant and corresponding secretary to First Lady Nancy Reagan. Betsy holds a B.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.

Jason Musante is the Chief Creative Officer at Huge where he has led the transformation of the agency's global integrated creative offering. His efforts landed him on Adweek’s “Creative 100” and helped Huge earn Campaign’s “Innovation Agency of the Year” award in 2019. Based in Brooklyn, Jason leads the creative team across Huge's 13 offices, helping clients capitalize on the seismic shifts reshaping the marketing landscape. Over his career, Jason has received dozens of awards from the Cannes Lions, One Show, the Clios, New York Art Directors Club, ANDYs, Webby Awards, Stephen E. Kelly Award, and Effies. His work has been featured in most mainstream news outlets including Wired, The New York Times, Newsweek, ESPN, CNN, BBC, Forbes, Fast Company, USA Today, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and National Public Radio. His work has also been covered in two books on the topic of integrated advertising.