Paul Zastrow joins Catholic United Financial as Senior Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5th, 2020

The Board of Directors of Catholic United Financial, the oldest fraternal life insurance provider domiciled in Minnesota, is proud to announce that Paul Zastrow has accepted the position as the Association’s Senior Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer, starting July 27, 2020.

In this role at Catholic United, Zastrow joins the Board of Directors and serves as the Association’s officer responsible for the day-to-day operations of the billion-dollar insurer, including the oversight of finance, accounting, investments, operations, member services, technology, and industry compliance. He joins the executive team under Michael Ahles, the current President and CEO of Catholic United, in this critical role.

“Catholic United is a special organization given the way we protect the financial interests of our members and support our Catholic and broader communities,” Ahles said. “That’s why Paul, with his deep knowledge of insurance, financial services and finance, coupled with his extensive leadership experience and drive — plus his Catholic faith — is an exceptional fit for us. We are so lucky to have him.”

“One of the things that attracted me to Catholic United is, as a not-for-profit, member-owned organization, we can offer financial opportunities to our members in mission- and faith-aligned ways.”

– Paul Zastrow

In May, the Catholic United Board voted unanimously to select Zastrow from a field of highly qualified candidates screened by both an internal selection committee and an executive search firm. The Board considered Zastrow’s experience as a Certified Public Accountant and his fraternal insurance industry credentials, senior leadership experience, and strong Catholic faith as factors in his selection. Affability and personality were also critical considerations as Catholic United officers frequently act in public relations roles at member-initiated volunteer events.

“I really look forward to getting to know our members in the coming months, whether it be in person or online in these unusual times we’re living in,” Zastrow said. “One of the things that attracted me to Catholic United is, as a not-for-profit, member-owned organization, we can offer financial opportunities to our members in mission- and faith-aligned ways that other organizations just can’t do.”

Zastrow graduated from Creighton University with finance and accounting degrees in 1987, and began his career with accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand in Omaha, Neb., before moving with his wife Patty to work in the Twin Cities office in 1992. In 1995, he joined ReliaStar Life Insurance Company, working his way up to Assistant Vice President of Financial Reporting. In 2002, Zastrow joined the fraternal life insurance industry at Thrivent Financial, where he rose to Vice President and Controller before accepting his new role at Catholic United in July, 2020.

About Catholic United Financial

Catholic United Financial is one of the oldest and enduring fraternal life insurance associations in the Upper Midwest, serving more than 75,000 members in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Catholic United offers life insurance, annuities, and retirement savings products to its members while providing fraternal benefits for Catholic parishes, schools and religious education.