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Barbara Koster is senior vice president and chief information officer for Prudential Financial, Inc. As head of the company’s Global Business & Technology Solutions Department, Koster has oversight responsibility for information technology, including cyber security, technology governance, architecture and standards, at Prudential locations worldwide. Koster also oversees the company’s global networks, data centers and other technology infrastructure. She also leads the company’s Office of Veterans Initiatives, a companywide program that helps veterans transition from military to civilian life. Koster is chairman of the board of Pramerica Systems Ireland, Ltd. and founding member of Prudential Systems Japan, Ltd., both technology subsidiaries of Prudential Financial, Inc. She also is a member of The Prudential Foundation board of directors.
Koster joined Prudential in November 1995 as vice president and chief information officer in Individual Life Insurance Systems, where she was responsible for a wide range of technologies, including those that support distribution, policy administration, customer relationship, business strategy, call centers, service delivery, financial systems, information security, business continuation and architecture.
In 2014, Koster was named one of STEMConnector’s 100 Corporate Diverse Leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. In 2013, she was inducted into Junior Achievement’s New Jersey Business Hall of Fame. In 2011, NJ Biz newspaper named Koster one of the "Best 50 Women in Business." She was named CIO of the Year in 2008 by the Executive Council and listed among the top Executive Women of New Jersey. She also has been named among the Premier IT Leaders by Computerworld magazine; the Top 20 Financial Management Technologists by the CIO Forum; and the Elite Eight by Insurance & Technology magazine. Under Koster’s leadership, Prudential has been named one of Computerworld magazine’s Best Places to Work in IT for several consecutive years.
Koster has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, an associate’s degree in Computer technology and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Francis College.
