Aflac CIO Shelia Anderson on AI-Driven Integration and the Unified Group Strategy

March 27, 2025

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About the Guest

Shelia Anderson

Chief Information Officer at Aflac

Shelia Anderson is Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Aflac, where she leads all enterprise-wide technology strategy and execution. With over two and a half years in the role, she has consolidated technology functions post-acquisition, developed a right-fit cloud strategy, and unified digital customer experiences across business lines. Shelia oversees data, analytics, AI, and innovation through Aflac's Hatch lab and drives IT governance, architecture, and talent strategy with a strong focus on aligning every investment to business value. She is a recognized leader in tech-driven insurance transformation.

Episode Overview

A unified customer experience helps companies deliver consistency, build trust, and reduce friction across their offerings making it easier for customers to engage, buy, and stay loyal. That’s why Aflac is investing in a unified group strategy consolidating acquired products into a seamless, integrated experience across dental, vision, disability, and more. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Shelia Anderson, EVP and CIO of Aflac, and speaks with her about the company’s strategy for transforming IT from a fragmented, acquisition-heavy operation into a centralized, data-driven engine for business value.

She outlines how Aflac avoided a costly cloud migration misstep, refocused its data and AI capabilities, and aligned talent strategy with architectural goals. Her approach to innovation is pragmatic and powerful: tie everything to business priorities and know your why.

Highlights include:

AI at Scale: Legacy ML driving value in claims; GenAI mapped to entire insurance lifecycle
Talent Shift: Reducing third-party reliance and redefining internal job architecture
Unified Group Strategy: Streamlined digital experience across acquired businesses
Smart Cloud Strategy: Focused migration driven by value, not hype
Innovation Alignment: Hatch Lab and GenAI tied to Aflac’s top goals

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