TIAA, a leading provider of secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people and thousands of institutions, has named Zara Mirza as Chief Brand Officer. She joins TIAA on March 6th and will report to TIAA’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Micky Onvural.
Mirza will lead the brand strategy, brand marketing, creative and corporate social responsibility teams for TIAA and Nuveen. She was previously Chief Brand Officer at GE, where she was charged with ensuring a 130-year-old global brand remained relevant to key audiences and with accelerating business transformation.
“Zara brings extensive experience transforming how brands go to market and will continue to elevate TIAA so that more institutional partners and new generations of consumers embrace the power of securing lifetime income,” said Onvural. “I am thrilled to have Zara help take our brand to new places and inspire others to join us in the critical fight for retirement security.”
Under Mirza’s leadership, she increased GE’s brand value by successfully repositioning the brand through the lens of purpose, building new platforms for advocacy and increasing earned media value. Prior to GE, she served as Global Head of Creative Excellence at Bacardi, where she pioneered the use of digital marketing and cultural platforms to build influence and open new routes to market. Additionally, she brings diverse category experience reaching various audiences across several industries through senior leadership positions at London-based creative agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty.
“TIAA has made bold moves in raising awareness around financial inequalities that exist and must be addressed to close the retirement gap for more Americans,” said Mirza. “It was important to me to join such a mission-driven organization and I look forward to continuing to propel the brand and help deliver on the company’s longstanding commitment to ensure everyone can retire with dignity.”
Mirza earned a B.A. in English Literature from Liverpool John Moores University. She is a member of the Advertising Council Diversity Board and a strategic advisor and angel investor for The WIE Suite, an influential women’s leadership network. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children.
About TIAA
TIAA is a leading provider of retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people and thousands of institutions. It is the #1 not-for-profit retirement market provider1, paid more than $6.4 billion in lifetime income to retired clients in 2021 and has $1.2 trillion in assets under management (as of 12/31/2022)2. Any guarantees under annuities issued by TIAA are subject to TIAA’s claims-paying ability.
