Author Profile

Thasunda Brown Duckett is president and chief executive officer of TIAA, a Fortune 100 provider of secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people working in higher education, health care and other mission-driven organizations.

As TIAA’s CEO, Thasunda leads a company whose mission is defined by financial inclusion and opportunity – goals and values she has upheld throughout her career.

Thasunda joined TIAA after serving as chief executive officer of Chase Consumer Banking, where she oversaw a banking network with more than $600 billion in deposits and 50,000 employees. Previously, she was the CEO of Chase Auto Finance, one of the leading U.S. providers of auto financing. Thasunda was also a national retail sales executive for Chase Mortgage Banking, where she managed 4,000 mortgage bankers.

Earlier in her career, Thasunda was a director of Emerging Markets at Fannie Mae, where she led the implementation of national strategies designed to increase homeownership among Black and Hispanic Americans. 

Thasunda sits on the board of directors of NIKE, Inc., Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and the Executive Leadership Council. She served as the executive sponsor of JPMorgan Chase’s Advancing Black Pathways program – aimed at helping Black Americans close achievement gaps in wealth creation, educational outcomes and career success – and of The Fellowship Initiative in New York City, an enrichment program offering young men of color academic, social and emotional support. She was also a member of the steering committee for JPMorgan Chase’s Women on the Move initiative to advance women in their careers and in business.

Thasunda grew up in Texas and lives in Connecticut with her husband and four children. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from the University of Houston and an MBA from Baylor University.