Debra Brackeen

The Innovation Officer Getting Insurers Excited About Change

In an industry built on minimizing risk, driving innovation can be an uphill climb. This puts Debra Brackeen in an interesting position: As Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer of CSAA Insurance Group, it’s her job to integrate emerging technologies with the buy-in from risk-averse employees. An eight-year veteran of CSAA, Brackeen’s tech background — she previously held executive positions at Apple, HP, and eBay — makes her uniquely able to bridge this divide. A recent focus of her work is generative artificial intelligence. In 2024, Brackeen led a cross-functional team to develop and execute the insurance company’s vision for how the technology could cut costs while improving the employee and customer experience. As a direct result of these efforts, CSAA ranked No. 14 in Fast Company’s annual Top 100 Best Global Companies for Innovators list.

By Laura Entis