Marquette Business

Former insurance executive, state commissioner joins Marquette Business as executive-in-residence

The College of Business Administration has added Mark Afable as an executive-in-residence for insurance. 
 
Afable, an instructor of practice in finance, has had a multi-decade career in insurance, culminating in his tenure as the state of Wisconsin’s commissioner of insurance from 2019 through 2021. He was also chief legal officer at American Family Insurance, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Madison. Afable now serves on the American Family board of directors.  Afable is a two-time Marquette graduate, earning his Bachelor of Arts in 1979 and his JD from Marquette Law School in 1983. 
 
Since coming to Marquette, Afable has co-taught classes and provided strategic direction to the college on insurance issues. 
 
“We are fortunate to have someone like Mark in our college with both a wealth of practical expertise and a passion for sharing it with students,” said Acting Keyes Dean of the College of Business Administration Tim Hanley. “There are exciting opportunities ahead for our college to deepen its level of engagement with insurance partners. Mark positions us well to take advantage of those opportunities in a way that creates the most possible value for students, the college and the business community.” 
 
“I appreciate the opportunity to return to Marquette and hopefully make a lasting impact,” Afable says. “This college has a proud, decades-long tradition of connecting what’s good for business with what’s good for people. That is the same principle that guided my insurance career. Working at an institution that aligns so closely with my values is an exciting new chapter for me.” 
 
Afable’s addition brings the total number of executives-in-residence to seven. Marquette Business started the executive-in-residence program in 2019, with Hanley coming aboard as its first-ever participant. Executives-in-residence are C-suite level leaders who use their networks to deepen the college’s engagement with the business community. Some of them also provide direct assistance to students.