BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 23, 2026--
Protective Life Corporation (Protective), a U.S. subsidiary of Daiichi Life Group, Inc. (Daiichi Life, TSE:8750), today announced that Casey Hardeman will become Chief Financial Officer and Dom Lebel will become Chief Risk & Actuarial Officer, effective October 1.
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The appointments establish key members of Protective’s leadership team as Paul Wells prepares to become Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2027. Hardeman will succeed Wells as Chief Financial Officer. Lebel will lead an expanded organization that brings Protective’s risk and financial actuarial functions under one leader.
"Casey and I have worked together for 18 years, and I've watched him play a critical role in building our finance organization into one that serves as an integral business partner to our leaders and provides valuable insights to optimize our performance. Dom joined us in 2024 and has sharpened our approach to risk management and provided strong enterprise leadership. I have great confidence in both of them as we prepare for Protective's next chapter together," said Paul Wells.
Hardeman, an 18-year Protective veteran, has worked across a broad range of finance disciplines, including financial reporting, investment accounting, reinsurance and divisional finance. During his tenure, he has also helped mature the company’s financial planning and analysis, capital management and asset liability management functions, bringing together critical capabilities to support the company’s business strategy and enterprise planning.
As Chief Financial Officer, Hardeman will lead Protective's finance organization and oversee the financial capabilities supporting the company's growth strategy and long-term objectives.
“I'm honored by the confidence Paul and Protective’s leadership team have placed in me,” said Hardeman. “Our financial strength is the bedrock of our promise to our customers, and I look forward to building on that foundation so we can protect more people. I couldn’t be more proud of our financial team and I am humbled to lead such a talented and committed group.”
Lebel brings experience in life insurance and annuities, including risk management, capital management, pricing, product development, mergers and acquisitions and enterprise transformation. Before joining Protective, he led the Americas Life Insurance Consulting and Technology practice at WTW, where he advised U.S. and multinational insurers on business, risk and actuarial matters. His organization will now bring financial actuarial capabilities together with enterprise risk management and corporate actuarial functions under his leadership.
"Aligning financial actuarial and risk under a more unified structure enhances how we support Protective's long-term strategy," Lebel said. "Bringing these teams together gives us a clearer, more connected view as we support Protective's growth and help us make sound decisions for the future."
About Protective
Protective has helped protect people for more than 115 years. Through its subsidiaries, Protective provides life insurance, retirement, employee benefits and asset protection solutions to nearly 32 million people. With a long-term focus, financial stability and commitment to doing the right thing, Protective empowers customers to move forward with confidence — becausewe're all protectors℠. Protective Life Corporation, a subsidiary of Daiichi Life Group, Inc., had $148 billion in assets as of June 30, 2026. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Protective employs more than 3,500 teammates nationwide, including at core sites in the greater Cincinnati region and St. Louis. For more information visit protective.com.
Casey Hardeman (left) and Dom Lebel (right)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia hammered Kyiv with drones in daylight attacks on Wednesday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared for meetings with world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly.
Two people were killed and 41 wounded in Ukraine’s capital as the attack stretched into Wednesday afternoon. Palls of black smoke floated above the city following the latest in what have been daily Russian attacks that torment Ukrainian civilians. The drones set off fires and damaged buildings in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine overnight, authorities said.
Zelenskyy was in New York for the annual U.N. gathering as part of his diplomatic effort to shore up and recruit further international support for his country’s grueling 4½-year fight against Russia’s invasion. He was due to address the General Assembly later Wednesday and was also to meet with European leaders and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Zelenskyy met on Tuesday with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has shown impatience with the lack of progress in talks aimed at ending the war and the escalating aerial attacks by both sides this year.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that there are “no concrete plans” for a high-level meeting between U.S. and Russian officials that might help break the deadlock in negotiations. He insisted that Moscow is “open to peace talks.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been accused by NATO officials and European governments of sabotage, espionage and other threats, is not scheduled to attend the U.N. gathering this year.
The Polish military said a Russian military helicopter briefly violated Poland’s airspace Wednesday on the country’s border with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave. It said that “the nature of the incident suggests that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defense.”
Ukraine has hit back at Russia by damaging oil refineries that are a vital pillar of the country's economy.
Zelenskyy said at the start of his U.S. visit that he had proposals for a possible de-escalation in the war. Urgent issues for Kyiv are halting devastating Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid and ensuring Ukrainian grain can be shipped to world markets through the Black Sea despite the war.
Ukraine also needs more U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems as a shield against Russian ballistic missiles, but Patriots are in short supply after the war in Iran began.
In Zaporizhzhia, in southeastern Ukraine, two men aged 37 and 39 were wounded by a strike that started a large fire at a shopping mall. Emergency services said the fire spread across about 6,000 square meters (1.5 acres) before coming under control.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that its forces struck Ukraine’s military-industrial and energy sector facilities, logistics centers and sea vessels in overnight attacks.
The ministry said its air defenses intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones over multiple Russian regions, as well as illegally annexed Crimea and waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Firefighters extinguish a fire at a burning building following a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)
The body of a victim lies on the ground following a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)
The body of a victim lies on the ground following a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)
President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands while meeting during the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
