WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors today elected Tom Wilson, chairman and CEO of The Allstate Corporation, to a one-year term as its Chairman. Wilson succeeds John L. Hopkins, chairman and CEO of NuScale Power LLC.
“Tom Wilson is an extraordinary business leader who runs The Allstate Corporation with passion and a sense of purpose. Driven by a deep belief that business is a powerful force for good in society, he will be a thoughtful and effective champion for America’s job creators,” said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber. “He sets a great example for all business leaders to follow, and we look forward to the ideas, innovations and insights he will contribute as chairman of the U.S. Chamber Board.”
Wilson was named chief executive officer of Allstate, the nation’s largest publicly traded personal lines insurer, in 2007. He added the chairman’s role the following year. Under his leadership, the corporation weathered the Great Recession and a significant increase in severe storms to become a model for corporations of the future.
Allstate has delivered excellent returns, while investing hundreds of millions of dollars in socially responsible causes, public infrastructure and business innovation. Wilson has aligned Allstate around a single purpose: protecting people from life’s uncertainties and preparing them for the future.
“It is an honor to take on this role at the Chamber and help lead an organization focused on helping businesses create more prosperity in America,” said Wilson. “Businesses play a vital role in the world by harnessing ideas, people, resources, processes and capital. We take iron rocks and make skyscrapers, cars and computers. Businesses provide dignity through work and must be supported to do even more. The Chamber will work to broaden our role in society to create even more prosperity. The collective power of a great team in Washington, D.C., and local Chamber executives throughout the country ensure that American business will continue to be the envy of the world.”
Wilson joined Allstate in 1995 from former corporate parent Sears, Roebuck and Company, where he was vice president of strategy and analysis. Wilson has taken his purpose-driven leadership beyond Allstate, serving as member of the Property and Casualty CEO Roundtable, as well as past chairman of the Financial Services Roundtable and deputy chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He also is a member of the Financial Services Forum and the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. Additionally, Wilson serves as a trustee of Rush University Medical Center and as the national and Illinois co-chair of WE Day, a youth empowerment program. He is co-founder and co-chair of Get IN Chicago, a public-private partnership to reduce violent crime among youth in city neighborhoods.
Wilson graduated with an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan. More on his background is available here.
Allstate is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life’s uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance. Allstate exclusive agencies are small businesses located in virtually every local community in America. The company is widely known through the slogan, “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®.”
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.
