OneAmerica Names General Counsel

OneAmerica has promoted Richard Ellery to general counsel and senior vice president. He started with the company in 1996 as an intern, and most recently served as senior deputy general counsel. He became a legal associate in 1997 and was promoted to attorney after graduating from the IUPUI law school, now known as the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, and passing the bar. He earned an undergraduate degree in political science from Purdue University.

Ellery’s career has combined legal and business expertise. His early work focused on benefits and the real estate investment area. He later moved to the securities business, as primary legal and compliance counselor for the Broker Dealer entity of OneAmerica. In 2012, he was promoted to president of OneAmerica Securities, and served on the senior team of the company’s Individual Life and Financial Services division. In November 2015, he was promoted to senior deputy general counsel, after he completed Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program.

Ellery succeeds Thomas Zurek as general counsel. Zurek, now senior chief legal counsel, in addition to executive vice president and secretary, plans to retire in 2019. As part of an orderly transition, Ellery has shadowed Zurek for the past two years and will report to Zurek until his retirement is effective. Zurek is a member of the executive council, an ex officio member of the board of directors and secretary for all board and corporate functions. He started at OneAmerica in 2002, and earlier served as executive vice president and general counsel for the American General Life companies.