The National Association of Insurance Commissioners named Jeffrey C. Johnston as its permanent chief executive officer, effective June 1, 2026. The appointment confirms his move from interim CEO to long-term head of the organisation.
Johnston will lead the 155-year-old insurance standard-setting body, which is governed by chief insurance regulators from all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, and five US territories.
Virginia Insurance Commissioner and NAIC President Scott A. White said Johnston has shown the leadership needed to guide the organisation beyond the interim period.
He said Johnston provided steady and thoughtful leadership, earned the confidence of NAIC members, and understands the state-based insurance system.
As CEO, Johnston will oversee NAIC operations and work with members on strategic priorities. Those include financial oversight, data modernisation, resilience, and responsible innovation.
The appointment comes as US insurance regulation faces heavier pressure from climate risk, private credit growth, artificial intelligence, offshore reinsurance, and affordability concerns.
According to Beinsure, Johnston’s solvency background fits a period when regulators need tighter balance-sheet insight and better data tools. Not flashy work. Necessary work.
Johnston brings more than 30 years of experience in insurance regulation, financial solvency oversight, and association management.
He began his career at the Kansas Insurance Department, where he held senior analytical and supervisory posts overseeing insurers across major business lines. He later worked in the private sector at GE Capital’s Employers Reinsurance Corporation.
Johnston then led a national regulatory consulting firm during the global financial crisis, advising regulators on complex solvency issues and insurer recoveries.
That crisis-era experience gives him direct exposure to stressed balance sheets, liquidity concerns, and insurer failure management.
During 25 years at the NAIC, Johnston held several senior leadership roles, including chief regulatory affairs officer and chief financial officer. In those posts, he rebuilt and led regulatory teams and oversaw major work in life actuarial modernisation, capital markets, debt securities, accreditation, and international engagement.
Johnston said he is honoured to continue serving the NAIC and its members. He said the organisation’s strength comes from collaboration between members and staff, and he plans to support state insurance regulators and the consumers they serve.
I’m honoured to continue serving the NAIC and its Members in this role. The NAIC’s strength comes from collaboration between Members and our staff, and I look forward to working together to support state insurance regulators and the consumers they serve.
Jeffrey Johnston
Johnston holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Emporia State University. He is also a Certified Association Executive through the American Society of Association Executives and is based in Kansas City, Missouri.
