Joseph (“Joe”) J. Prochaska Jr is an experienced board member and strategic financial executive with over 30 years helping some of the world’s largest insurance related companies improve profits, navigate transformation activities including mergers and acquisitions and enhance financial systems. Joe has an extensive background in accounting, financial reporting, financial systems, and risk evaluation. He also brings deep information technology experience including enterprise-wide financial and operating systems and cyber security. Joe is designated as a Qualified Financial Expert under Sarbanes-Oxley and serves as an independent director and Qualified Risk Expert on the Synovus Financial Corp. Board.
Joe has served on the Synovus Financial Corp. Board since 2011. In 2011 he stood up the Company’s first Board Risk Committee and he chaired the committee for several years. He is still a member while now chairing the Audit Committee. His board experience includes participation on private company boards in the real estate, technology, and data analytics arenas as well as various charitable boards. He also has extensive experience participating as a member of internal regulatory boards for statutory insurance companies.
Joe was the Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Principal Accounting Officer for MetLife, Inc. from 2003 until his retirement in 2009. Before joining MetLife, he served as Senior Vice President, Controller, and Principal Accounting Officer of Aon Corporation from 1998 to 2003. Joe was actively involved in all financial activities for both entities worldwide including the filing of all SEC reports as well as many compulsory regulatory reports to state insurance departments, the US government, and the Federal Reserve Bank. He also participated actively on numerous merger and acquisition activities at both firms in due diligence, integration activities, and valuation. He has a thorough understanding of the capital markets and valuations. Joe oversaw financial reporting systems during his tenure at MetLife and Aon and was active in designing and implementing operational IT systems.
At MetLife and Aon and, his previous employer, Shand Morahan, which all had extensive overseas operations, Joe developed broad international experience across Europe and Asia and he personally transacted business in over 25 countries. He is well-versed in dealing with multiple currencies and different financial norms and was recognized for his ability to motivate and manage diverse staffs located in multiple offices around the globe.
Mr. Prochaska started his business career at a Big 4 CPA firm before moving to the corporate world. He has worked as a CEO, President, and Treasurer of smaller organizations before moving back to the financial arena. Through these experiences, he acquired deep operational, profit & loss responsibility, and financial expertise.
As a Board Director, he has continued his education attaining the designation of a Governance Fellow from the National Association of Corporate Directors. He is a CPA and has maintained his property & casualty insurance broker license for over 30 years. Recently he has focused his education on cyber security and third party risk management both as a participant and presenter in seminars and meetings.
He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BBA in Accounting and is a CPA. He has volunteered his time to several charitable organizations over the years especially the University of Notre Dame and Elmhurst University, where he serves on the Endowment Investment Committee. Joe and his wife, Gina, have three grown children and six grandchildren. They still travel extensively when not working and have been to over 80 countries.