Ben Fowke (Courtesy photo)
Securian Financial, St. Paul, announced that Ben Fowke, retired chairman, president and CEO of Xcel Energy, has been named lead independent director of its board of directors. Fowke, who has served on Securian Financial’s board since 2018, is chair of the Human Resources and Compensation committee and is a member of the board’s Audit and Executive committees.
DEVELOPMENT
Opus, a Minneapolis-based national commercial real estate developer, announced that Mark Kunkel has joined its capital markets team as senior vice president of capital formation and investment strategy. Kunkel previously held roles at Doran Cos., Northmarq Fund Management and AB CarVal.
ENTERTAINMENT
Children’s Theatre Company, a Minneapolis-based live-entertainment organization, announced Addie Gorlin-Han as associate artistic director, effective Jan. 4. She previously was associate producer with the Guthrie Theater.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Wells Fargo announced that Scott Powell, current chief operating officer, will serve as its next chief risk officer. Powell will take over for Derek Flowers, who retires mid-January after almost 30 years with the bank. … JNBA Financial Advisors, Bloomington, announced that for the twelfth year in a row, Barron’s has named chairman and CEO Richard S. Brown to its list of the Top 100 Independent Advisors. He placed 29th, marking his highest placement to date.
HEALTH CARE
UnitedHealth Group, an Eden Prairie-based national health insurer, announced the addition of Jodee Kozlak as chief administrative officer, a new role overseeing people, real estate, procurement and corporate security. Kozlak, who held board roles at C.H. Robinson and KB Home, previously served as executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Target, and later as global senior vice president of people at Alibaba Group. … Lifespark, a St. Louis Park-based provider of senior home health services, has named Anthony Laflen as its senior vice president of technology. Laflen is the former senior vice president, business intelligence at Consonus Healthcare and vice president, value-based care innovation, at PointClickCare.
HONORS
Children’s Minnesota, a chain of hospitals and clinics focused on pediatric care, announced it has been recognized as one of America’s Best-In-State Employers 2026 by Forbes, determined by direct feedback from employees and members of the public through an independent survey.
MANUFACTURING
GF, an Apple Valley-based manufacturer of Uponor-branded indoor plumbing products, announced Robert (Bob) Downie as the new vice president of sales (US) for GF Building Flow Solutions Americas, effective Sept. 21. Downie has over 20 years of experience, including roles held at American Standard, Delta Faucet, Grohe and Duravit.
NONPROFITS
Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, Eden Prairie, announced Meera Bhat has joined the organization as program director, environment. Bhat, who will also serve on the program leadership team, most recently served as global managing director of equitable conservation for the Nature Conservancy. … Jeremiah Program, a Minneapolis-based national anti-poverty organization serving single mothers and their children, announced the appointment of Chavon Mitchell as chief external affairs officer. Previously, Mitchell served as chief development officer for The Marshall Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the U.S. criminal justice system.
PHILANTHROPY
Hormel Foods Corp., an Austin, Minn.-based provider of grocery store prepared food brands, recently donated a combined $332,000 for Hunger Action Month to support more than 40 local hunger-relief organizations across the U.S.
TECHNOLOGY
nVent Electric plc, an electrical supply company headquartered in London and St. Louis Park, announced the appointment of Courtney Nelson Wills as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, effective October 12. Most recently, she served as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of MiniMed Group, Inc., a multibillion-dollar spin-off from Medtronic. … Datasite, a Minneapolis-based business software and services company, announced several leadership appointments including Raj Bakhru as chief technology officer, Andrew Bocskocsky as chief product officer, James Lehnhoff as chief information officer, Todd Albright as chief commercial officer and Doug Cullen as chief revenue officer, Grata Intelligence.
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Source: www.twincities.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.
