RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – Erik Askelsen has been named General Counsel for CO-OP Financial Services, joining its Executive Management Team to lead the company’s enterprise risk management, information security and legal affairs, the company said.
Erik Askelsen
“Adding the General Counsel role to our Executive Management Team enables CO-OP to continue to grow our operations while maintaining strict governance over risk management and more,” said Todd Clark, President/CEO of CO-OP. “We have found an extremely well qualified leader in Erik Askelsen, who brings more than 20 year of legal experience with large organizations and complex industries.”
Askelsen’s career includes serving as a general counsel for a life insurance company and as a partner in two law firms. Most recently, he was a Partner with Faegre Baker Daniels LLP in Des Moines, Iowa. His practice there focused on helping clients develop and implement business-minded strategies related to the regulatory, corporate, transactional, product, governance, government relations and regulatory challenges they face, primarily in the insurance and financial services sectors.
In addition to leading CO-OP’s enterprise risk, InfoSec and legal affairs, Askelsen will also serve as the company’s Corporate Secretary, a new position for company. As Corporate Secretary, Askelsen will be responsible for advising CO-OP’s Board of Directors and management on governance matters, as well as managing the logistics and record keeping associated with the Board’s activities, CO-OP said.