Longtime ACORD Board member and veteran insurance technology executive returns to lead the global standards-setting body, bringing decades of experience putting ACORD Standards to work at scale
NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ACORD, the standards-setting body for the insurance industry, announced today the appointment of John Kellington, a proven and esteemed insurance technology leader, to Chief Executive Officer.
Kellington has dedicated his career to creating a more efficient insurance industry, with a focus on the development, adoption and advancement of data standards. He steps into the CEO role with a rare vantage point, having helped build ACORD Standards, and then spending 16 years as a carrier CIO putting them to use.
Kellington's appointment marks his return to ACORD. He previously served as ACORD's Senior Vice President of Standards Development, Information Technology, Corporate Finance & Membership from 2007 to 2010, and more recently as a member of its Board of Directors. During his time at ACORD, he was instrumental in developing the ACORD Reference Architecture, a series of models representing capabilities, processes, information and components for the insurance industry. This framework has dramatically improved the insurance industry's technical capabilities.
Kellington most recently served as Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer of Cincinnati Insurance, where he transformed the company's information technology operations based on an ACORD architecture-led IT model.
"We are so pleased to welcome John as ACORD's new CEO. He brings an uncompromising view that the insurance ecosystem is underpinned by the combination of technology and standards. John's experience and success in implementing data standards marks him as the most fitting champion to advance ACORD's mission and help create a more digitally connected and efficient insurance industry," said ACORD Board Chair Robert Kelly AM, Founder, Managing Director & CEO of Steadfast Group.
"We are at a pivotal moment for insurance technology, and success will depend on how well data moves. ACORD is at the center of this, providing the framework and standards that form the foundation. I'm honored to take on this role at ACORD, where I will be working with a talented and dedicated community who are making a meaningful difference in the digital future of our industry," said Kellington.
ACORD has served the insurance community for over 55 years, as the industry's globally recognized Standards Development Organization (SDO). Its members include hundreds of the largest insurers, reinsurers, brokers, agencies, technology providers and industry associations across property & casualty, life, annuity, reinsurance and specialty lines of business. In collaboration with this community, ACORD develops and maintains digital data standards, data models and architecture, standardized forms, and other tools to maximize efficiency and interoperability throughout the industry. Its wholly owned subsidiary, ACORD Solutions Group, is dedicated to driving transformation through technology that optimizes the cost, speed and accuracy of standardized digital data exchange.
"John is an authentic and effective leader who is committed to making an impact on the insurance industry," said Tanya Krochta, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of ACORD. "Data standards as the key to technology advancement has been the throughline of John's career. This, along with his dedication to industry collaboration, makes him the standout choice to lead ACORD."
About ACORD
ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development) is the global standards-setting body for the insurance and related financial services industries. ACORD facilitates fast, accurate data exchange and efficient workflows through the development of electronic standards, standardized forms, and tools to support their use. ACORD engages thousands of insurance and reinsurance companies, agents and brokers, software providers, financial services organizations and industry associations in more than 100 countries. ACORD maintains offices in New York and London. Learn more at www.acord.org.
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