Barbara D. Richardson joined the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI) as Cabinet Executive Officer (CEO) effective March 6, 2023. 

CEO Richardson previously served as the Insurance Commissioner for Nevada from March 2016 to December 2022. Prior to her Nevada role, she worked for the New Hampshire Insurance Department as Director of Operations and Fraud for 12 years. She also has held positions at CNA Insurance, Kemper Financial, the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago, and Putnam Securities.

CEO Richardson previously served on the NAIC’s various committees, task forces, and working groups. She served as chair of the NAIC System for Electronic Rates & Forms Filing (SERFF) Advisory Board and as co-vice chair of the Climate and Resiliency (EX) Task Force.

CEO Richardson is a graduate of Vassar College. She earned a law degree from the University of New Hampshire School of Law and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from Loyola University (Chicago, IL).

The Arizona DIFI oversees the secure operation of Arizona’s state-chartered financial institutions. It ensures public confidence in financial institutions by protecting the interest of depositors, borrowers, shareholders, and consumers through the enforcement of state laws. The DIFI is responsible for administering state laws that regulate financial institutions, which include banks, credit unions, trust companies, and trust divisions