10 Lincoln Financial operations leaders
Senior Vice President, Insurance Operations, Vice President, Group Protection Operations and Vice President, Enterprise Business Services are among the roles held by these ten Lincoln Financial operations leaders. A reader can learn how operations leaders work at Lincoln Financial from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Carolyn McGovern
LinkedInExperience: VP, Life Operations and Life & Annuity Claims and Regulatory Controls · Lincoln Financial
Carolyn McGovern has been VP, Life Operations and Life & Annuity Claims and Regulatory Controls at Lincoln Financial since July 2021, based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Carolyn McGovern also held the Lincoln Financial roles of VP, Life Insurance Operations (2018 to 2021), VP, Claims and Beneficiary Care (2014 to 2018) and VP, Customer Care Call Center (2010 to 2014).
Darla Roche
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Contact Centers, Life, Dental and Supplemental Health Claims Operations · Lincoln Financial
Darla Roche has been Vice President, Contact Centers, Life, Dental and Supplemental Health Claims Operations at Lincoln Financial since June 2023. Darla Roche also held the Lincoln Financial roles of Vice President, Shared Services & Claimant Excellence Service Organization (2020 to 2023), Vice President, Short Term Disability & Absence Claims Operation (2018 to 2020) and Assistant Vice President, Absence Management Operations.
Emma Ladd
LinkedInExperience: VP, Executive Benefits and Term Strategic Operations · Lincoln Financial
Emma Ladd has been VP, Executive Benefits and Term Strategic Operations at Lincoln Financial since 2004, based in the Hartford area. The About section says Emma is responsible for three business areas: Corporate / Bank Owned Life Insurance Operations, Term business expansion through automation and Telephone Interview processing for application fulfillment.
Heather Cook
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Group Protection Claims · Lincoln Financial
Heather Cook has been Vice President, Group Protection Claims at Lincoln Financial since July 2026, a role the listing ties to supplemental health, life, dental and claims AI transformation. Heather Cook also held the Lincoln Financial roles of Vice President, STD & Absence Claims (2020 to 2026) and Regional Vice President, Short Term Disability and Leave Operations - Charlotte & Phoenix (2018 to 2020).
James OBoyle
LinkedInExperience: Senior Vice President, Insurance Operations · Lincoln Financial
James OBoyle has been Senior Vice President, Insurance Operations at Lincoln Financial since October 2022. James OBoyle also held the roles of Managing Director, Head of Service and Operations at Equitable (2016 to 2022), Managing Director - Head of Annuity Operations at AXA US (2012 to 2016) and Vice President - Client Services at AXA US (2009 to 2012).
Rachel Downing
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Group Protection Operations · Lincoln Financial
Rachel Downing has been Vice President, Group Protection Operations at Lincoln Financial since February 2025. Rachel Downing also held the roles of Assistant Vice President, Premium, Billing & Member Support at Lincoln Financial (2024 to 2025), Head of Portfolio Integration and Vice President, Service & Business Enablement at Farmers Insurance, and Vice President, Property & Casualty Business and Product Enablement at MetLife (2019 to 2021).
Rashanda R. Harris
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Enterprise Business Services · Lincoln Financial
Rashanda R. Harris has been Vice President, Enterprise Business Services at Lincoln Financial since November 2025, based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Rashanda R. Harris also held the Lincoln Financial roles of Vice President, Strategic Implementation (2024 to 2025), Vice President, MoneyGuard Underwriting & New Business (2022 to 2024) and Director, Shared Services Operations (2018 to 2020).
Romel Molina
LinkedInExperience: Vice President - Head of Insurance Operations Customer Contact Center · Lincoln Financial
Romel Molina has been Vice President - Head of Insurance Operations Customer Contact Center at Lincoln Financial since January 2023, based in High Point, North Carolina, and also lists a current Lincoln Financial role as Vice President - Head of Life & Annuity Contact Center Operations, dated from June 2020. Romel Molina also held the role of Vice President of Customer Contact Center Operations & WFM Performance Managment at Santander US (2014 to 2015).
Ryan O’Leary
LinkedInExperience: VP, Claims & Operations Strategy & Planning · Lincoln Financial
Ryan O’Leary has been VP, Claims & Operations Strategy & Planning at Lincoln Financial since September 2025, based in Boston. Ryan O’Leary also held the Lincoln Financial roles of AVP, Claims & Operations Strategy (2023 to 2025), AVP, Operations Strategy & Insights (2021 to 2023) and AVP, Operations Strategy & Business Transformation (2018 to 2021), and was Director, Distribution Compensation at Liberty Mutual Insurance.
Vince Garzarella
LinkedInExperience: Senior Vice President, Retirement Plan Services Operations · Lincoln Financial
Vince Garzarella has been Senior Vice President, Retirement Plan Services Operations at Lincoln Financial since January 2023, based in Exton, Pennsylvania. Vince Garzarella also held the Lincoln Financial roles of Vice President, Retirement Plan Services Mid - Large Markets (2018 to 2023) and Vice President, Retirement Plan Services Tax-Exempt Markets (2017 to 2018), and was Department Head of 403(b)(7) and 401(k) Client Administration at Vanguard from 2015 to 2017.
Choose the right perspective
Choose the person whose title sits closest to the operations question you are working on, and note when the role began. Weigh scope too, because a leader over a broad operations group and one running a single team see different parts of the work.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What took most of your time in your current operations role, and what did you change first?
- 02How did you decide which service or claims measures to watch most closely, and why?
- 03What did you carry over from earlier roles that changed how you run operations?
Reaching Lincoln Financial operations leaders
How can I contact one of these Lincoln Financial operations leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: Lincoln Financial, based on profile data retrieved on October 18, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Lincoln Financial operations leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these Lincoln Financial operations leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
Request a correction or removal