Her Story
About Jackie
Jackie Ward is a seasoned compliance executive with more than 20 years of experience in financial services, specializing in insurance, financial institutions, and payments compliance. She is widely recognized for her ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into practical, business-aligned strategies that strengthen governance, reduce risk, and support sustainable organizational growth. Her professional journey began in the U.S. Army Reserves, where she developed a strong foundation in discipline, structure, and leadership through supply management and training roles. These early experiences shaped her detail-oriented and accountability-driven approach to problem-solving. Following her military service, she transitioned into civilian life in Des Moines, Iowa, where she leveraged the GI Bill to pursue her education and began building a career in the insurance industry. Over time, approximately eight to nine years into her professional path, her responsibilities naturally evolved into a compliance role—an area where she discovered both confidence and purpose. Although she once considered if pursuing a career in law better supported her compliance path, she ultimately chose to stick with the business value side of compliance, focusing on balance between strict regulatory interpretation and the practical judgment required to operate effectively within the “gray space” that sometimes swirls around regulatory guidance. Throughout her career, Jackie has held progressively senior leadership roles across insurance and fintech organizations, including Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer positions. In several of these roles, she served as a highly adaptable, hands-on leader—supporting not only compliance functions but also operational integration, customer support, and broader business execution during periods of organizational growth and transformation. Her experience reflects a blend of regulatory expertise and strong business acumen, enabling her to contribute meaningfully beyond traditional compliance boundaries. Today, Jackie remains focused on serving financial institutions and organizations where mission and impact carry significant weight. She is particularly drawn to roles that align with purpose-driven leadership and long-term value creation. Known for her integrity, pragmatic leadership style, and ability to navigate complexity, she continues to bring a steady, collaborative presence to organizations committed to strong governance and responsible growth.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jackie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think setting a good example for our kids is what drives me, making them want more and be curious about things so they don't just get stuck in a rut. I think about The Chicks song that says 'I live in the zip code where my parents live.' I want my kids to do that if they want to, but I don't want them to feel like they have to, or they don't have options to go do something different. So definitely thinking about things from that perspective. And besides setting a good example, it goes back to being a good person. I want to leave something behind, and it doesn't have to be that people say, oh yeah, that was because of Jackie Ward. It's just like, man, I'm glad someone thought of this, or did this, or helped us get here. In the industry that I'm in now, serving smaller community financial institutions is important, and so the older I've gotten, the more I look at what the company is doing and putting out there. It's not just about this being a really good job and a career where I like these people and it's fun, but what is the mark that the company is making? So I pay a little more attention to that now that I'm older and theoretically wiser.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
It was a quote I saw somewhere ... "Sometimes you just have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down."
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say don't give up, and don't let people push you into thinking there's only one way of doing things. Early on, I challenged myself when I read job descriptions as I was moving up, because I moved up pretty quickly. I would look at these and say, yep, I've got that, yep, I can do that, I can sell myself on this, I can learn this, and apply for it anyway. Because if you get to have that conversation, I think that makes a big difference, right? It can't just be on paper. And right now, with technology and AI scanning resumes, it makes it even more difficult to figure out how to stand out. And so I think that's something that groups of people sticking together, and in this case, influential women sticking together, we can help each other maybe bridge some of those gaps. While there's a lot of diversity programs right now that will redact information so that decisions are being made on a more unbiased basis, we still have AI scanning things. So if you don't say it just right, or if you don't toot your own horn, because we tend not to, women are generally not as boastful as men sometimes about their progress and all the things they've accomplished, and we've got to change that, right? We need to let them do their thing, but we need to do our thing.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is also the biggest opportunity depending on your line of business and that is the ever-changing regulatory landscape.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Flexibility and balance in all things!
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Iowa
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.