Alumna Spotlight: Deanna Strable and Kathy Kay

Unexpected Connections: How Delta Zeta Sisterhood Brought Deanna and Kathy Together at Principal

Deanna Strable

Congratulations to Deanna Strable, Alpha Alpha, Northwestern University, on her recent appointment as president and CEO of Principal Financial Group®. Originally from Iowa, Deanna joined Principal® in 1990 as an actuarial assistant. Since then, she has held 15 different positions at the Fortune 500 company, including Chief Financial Officer and President of U.S. Insurance Solutions, before assuming the CEO role in January 2025. Deanna is only the 16th person to lead Principal in its 145-year history. She is proud to be the next steward of the company’s winning culture, recognizing it as a key driver in attracting and retaining employees and customers. Deanna feels she benefitted greatly from her leadership opportunities at Northwestern and Delta Zeta. For leadership and career inspiration, read more about how Deanna has turned challenges into career opportunities during her tenure at Principal.

During a recent social event, Deanna and her colleague Kathy Kay, Epsilon Sigma, Wayne State University, were out with friends and an unexpected connection surfaced. When Deanna introduced her friend to Kathy, she introduced her as a fellow Delta Zeta. Thanks to this, Deanna and Kathy realized they share not only executive leadership roles at Principal, but also the lifelong bond of Delta Zeta sisterhood. 

Kathy Kay

Kathy joined Principal in 2020 as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, bringing with her decades of experience in IT leadership from General Motors, SunTrust, Comerica, and PG&E. Growing up in Detroit, a Focus: HOPE retreat inspired Kathy to pursue higher education, leading her to obtain a degree in computer science at Wayne State University. Kathy credits her time at Wayne State and her Delta Zeta involvement with shaping her leadership skills and commitment to mentorship; qualities that have defined her career. Today, she oversees Principal’s global technology and digital strategies and is passionate about expanding access to technology and financial literacy. Find out more about Kay’s path to Principal and her passion for technology and mentoring here.