Drake University is pleased to announce that Paul Schickler has been appointed as the new Chair of Drake’s Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees also welcomes four new members: Cain Hayes, Craig Ibsen, Jeff Lorenzen and Alessa Quane. The incoming trustees were approved by the Board earlier this year and began their initial three-year term of service on July 1, 2025.
“Continuing to elevate Drake’s position as a premier, national liberal arts institution requires bold vision and brilliant leadership. That is precisely what we are gaining with our new trustees and with Paul Schickler stepping into the role of Board Chair,” said Drake University President Marty Martin. “Together, our new and existing trustees bring a collective expertise and deep commitment that will be vital in advancing Drake’s vision of transforming lives and strengthening communities.”
New Board Chair
Paul Schickler, BN’74, MBA’83
Paul Schickler began a three-year term as Chair of Drake’s Board of Trustees on July 1, succeeding Mark Ernst. A member of the Drake Board of Trustees since 2018, Schickler has been an active and engaged leader, chairing the audit committee and serving on The Ones campaign steering committee. He earned a bachelor’s in management and a Master of Business Administration from Drake in 1974 and 1983, respectively. He and his wife, Claudia, are generous donors to the University, providing transformational support to the Knapp Center and Drake Athletics, a lead gift to The Darling Institute, a named space in The Johansen Student Center, and valued investments in The Harkin Institute.
Schickler enjoyed a distinguished career in the agricultural business industry, culminating in his role as President of DuPont Pioneer from 2007 to 2017. In this leadership position, he expanded Pioneer’s global business by focusing on innovations that improved the productivity and profitability of farmers in more than 90 countries.
“Drake University is an exceptional institution and a place of incredible impact, and my eight years on the Board have been filled with meaningful and transformative work,” said Schickler. “I am honored to take on the role of chair, and I look forward to working with my fellow trustees, the administration, and faculty as we make even more possible for the Drake community and continue our work charting the University’s next great era.”
New Trustees
Cain Hayes, BN’92
Cain Hayes is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Point32Health, a $9-billion health and wellness organization. His career is marked by significant leadership roles across the managed care and health insurance industry, including serving as President & CEO of Gateway Health.
Previously, Hayes was President & COO of the Health Business for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. He also served as President of the national accounts division at Aetna, where he had full financial and operating responsibility for the $9 billion business. Prior to Aetna, he held executive positions at Nationwide and Principal Financial Group. Hayes, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Drake and a Master of Business Administration from Webster University, is returning to the board after prior service from 2011 to 2021.
Craig Ibsen, MBA’88
For the last decade Craig Ibsen has served as the Founder and Managing Partner of Next Level Ventures, the largest venture capital firm in Iowa which manages more than $500 million in assets. With deep roots in financial technology and startups, he has established the first and largest strategic investment firm managing credit union assets.
Earlier in his career, Ibsen served as a senior executive at Maytag Corporation, founded Appliancezone, a global supply chain software company, and led international operations for multi-national companies. He earned his bachelor’s from Luther College before completing his Master of Business Administration at Drake.
Jeff Lorenzen, MBA’89
Jeff Lorenzen is the Chief Executive Officer of American Equity Investment Life Insurance Co., where he is responsible for the overall management and leadership of the company. He has served on the company’s Board of Directors since 2009.
Lorenzen’s path to CEO demonstrates his deep expertise within the industry. He joined American Equity in 2009 as Chief Investment Officer, a role he held for 12 years. He was then named Executive Vice President & Chief Risk Officer in 2021 before assuming his current role in 2024. Lorenzen holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and received his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Iowa and his Master of Business Administration from Drake.
Alessa Quane, BN’92
Alessandrea “Alessa” Quane is the Executive Vice President and Chief Insurance Officer at Oscar. She gained extensive experience in both domestic and international insurance markets during a distinguished, nearly 25-year career at AIG.
Her global leadership roles at AIG included serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, Chief Corporate Actuary, and Head of Global Actuarial and Value Management. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a major in actuarial science from Drake. In 2019, Drake honored her with the Stuart A. Klugman Distinguished Alumni Award for her professional achievements and community involvement. Quane is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.