Principal hires former PG&E executive as chief information officer

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Principal Financial Group today announced that Kathleen Kay, former chief information officer for Pacific Gas & Electric Co., will join Principal as its new chief information officer on May 1. She succeeds Gary Scholten, chief information officer and chief digital officer, who previously announced his retirement effective June 2, after 40 years of service.

“Kathleen brings a wealth of digital and IT experience to Principal that’s critical to helping our businesses adapt and to serve the evolving needs of our customers around the world,” said Dan Houston, chairman, president and CEO of Principal. 

“With the leadership positions she’s held across a wide range of industries, she’s well-versed in today’s technological capabilities and understands the importance of aligning IT and business strategies with future technology needs,” Houston said. “Her ability to build and guide strong relationships with internal and external partners will help us drive innovation across the organization, and I look forward to her carrying on Gary’s legacy of developing strong IT talent.”

Kay will have responsibility for the global technology and digital strategies for Principal and will report to Houston.

Before Principal, Kay led PG&E’s information technology business, including its mission-critical systems and the development of the company’s technology strategy, infrastructure and architecture. She also held several IT leadership positions with General Motors, Comerica and SunTrust.

She earned her Master of Science in engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and her Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Wayne State University. She will be based at Principal’s headquarters in Des Moines.