Mike Cowell

Chief Risk and Compliance Officer

B.S., Management Science and Information Technology

Virginia Tech

 

Mike is Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, responsible for overseeing the organization’s enterprise risk management, compliance and control functions.

As Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, Mike oversees strategies related to managing TIAA’s enterprise risk management framework and compliance programs. He is responsible for leading the global team that provides independent oversight and monitoring of both financial and non-financial risks across five enterprise risk categories including financial, operational, strategic, reputational and compliance/regulatory. Mike also has responsibility for the framework and execution of business risk identification, assessment and mitigation.

Mike has more than 25 years of financial services experience. He was appointed Chief Risk and Compliance Officer in 2024, after serving as the company’s EVP and Chief Auditor for 16 years, where he reported directly to the Audit Committee of the TIAA Board of Trustees and administratively to the TIAA Chief Executive Officer providing objective, independent audit, advisory and investigative services across all TIAA legal entities and businesses. Prior to joining TIAA, Mike held roles with increasing responsibility at EY and PwC.

He serves as an executive sponsor of TIAA’s Community Champion Network, which focuses on advocating for local community impact initiatives, volunteerism and philanthropic programs. Passionate about engaging in the community, he serves on the Board of Directors for Dedication to Community (D2C) and Eliminate the Digital Divide (E2D), and previously for Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas. He is also a member of The University of North Carolina Charlotte Graduate School Advisory Board.