Rosie Rios, former Treasurer of the United States, Sheri Edison, legal executive, join American Family board of directors

The Honorable Rosie Rios, former Treasurer of the United States, and Sheri Edison, General Counsel at Amcor plc, will join the board of directors of American Family Insurance Mutual Holding Company. 

“We are delighted and honored with the additions of Ms. Rios and Ms. Edison. They each have considerable expertise and insights, bringing strategy, governance, finance and community experience to our board,” said Jack Salzwedel, American Family chair and chief executive officer.

Rios will begin her term next month, following her recent election to the board. Edison will begin her term in May, pending her formal election at the company's annual meeting in March.

Rios served as the 43^rd Treasurer of the United States from 2009 to 2016. In her capacity as Treasurer, she had direct oversight over the U.S. Mint (including Fort Knox) and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and served as a key liaison with the Federal Reserve. In addition, she was a senior adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury in the areas of community development and public engagement.

Rios is currently the CEO of Red River Associates, a real estate consulting firm in San Francisco, California. She recently completed her term as a visiting scholar at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, where she also earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Romance Languages.

Prior to her appointment to the Treasury, she was managing director of investments for MacFarlane Partners, a multi-billion real estate investment firm based in San Francisco. Her responsibilities included leading the firm's urban investment and development programs throughout northern California and consulting with local municipalities. Before that, Rios served in several California private and public sector positions focused on economic development and urban redevelopment.

Rios’ passions extend to diversity and inclusion. She founded and continues to lead Empowerment 2020, a non-profit focused on physical recognition of historic American women, advocacy for women in senior leadership positions, and investment programs for both women and girls.

Edison has deep experience as the general counsel, corporate secretary and chief legal officer of several companies. Following her undergraduate career at the University of Southern California and law school at Northwestern University, she worked in private practice leading significant merger and acquisition transactions. She has been part of “in-house” legal functions since 1999, and has been the general counsel of companies since 2004.

Edison was appointed general counsel of Amcor plc following its 2019 acquisition of Bemis Company, where she had served as senior vice president, chief legal officer and secretary since 2010. With more than $13 billion in sales and 50,000 employees worldwide, Amcor is a global leader in the development and production of responsible packaging for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home and personal care and other products. Amcor trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Australian Securities Exchange and is included in both the S&P500 and S&P/ASX 200 indices. At Amcor, Ms. Edison’s responsibilities include corporate governance, global compliance and legal operations for 250 sites across more than 40 countries.

Edison also brings corporate board experience to American Family, both from her current and previous executive responsibilities and her five years as a board member of AK Steel. At AK Steel, Edison serves on the Compensation Committee and chairs the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Edison is a member and fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors, and an alumnae of the DirectWomen Board Institute. She was recognized in Black Enterprise’s List of Most Powerful Executives in North America in 2017, and was among Savoy Magazine’s 2017 Most Influential Black Corporate Directors and 2018 Most Influential Black Lawyers. She was also recognized by Directors and Boards Magazine as one of the publication’s 2017 Directors to Watch.

Other members of American Family’s board of directors are:

• Jack Salzwedel (board chairman), chair and chief executive officer, American Family Insurance Mutual Holding Company
• Christine Cumming, retired first vice president and chief operating officer, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
• Londa Dewey, president, QTI Group
• Fabian Fondriest, president of American Family Direct, chair and chief executive officer of Homesite Group
• Leslie Ann Howard, senior advisor to the chief executive officer, United Way Worldwide
• Idalene Kesner, dean, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
• Rakesh Khurana, dean, Harvard College
• Michael Knetter, Ph.D., president, University of Wisconsin Foundation
• Elliot Protsch, president, Wapsie Investment & Advisory, LLC
• Paul Shain, president and chief executive officer, Singlewire Software LLC
• Thomas Tefft, retired senior vice president, Medtronic, former president of Medtronic’s Neuromodulation Business
• Bill Westrate, president, American Family Insurance Mutual Holding Company
• Thomas Zimbrick, chief executive officer, Zimbrick Inc.

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About American Family Insurance
Madison, Wisconsin-based American Family Insurance group is the nation's 13th-largest property/casualty insurance group and ranks No. 306 on the Fortune 500 list. The company sells American Family-brand products, including auto, homeowners, life, business and farm/ranch insurance, primarily through its exclusive independent contractor agents in 19 states. American Family affiliates (The General and Homesite) also provide options for consumers who want to manage their insurance matters directly over the internet or by phone. Affiliate Main Street America sells insurance products through independent agents and affiliate Ameriprise Auto & Home sells through partners. Web www.amfam.com; Facebook www.facebook.com/amfam; Twitter www.twitter.com/amfam.