Allstate appoints CoStar Group CFO Christian Lown as new Chief Financial Officer with $2 million signing bonus
Allstate announced on Tuesday that CoStar Group CFO Christian Lown will become the company's new Chief Financial Officer, effective August 3. According to securities filings, Lown will receive an annual salary of $875,000 and a one-time cash signing bonus of $2 million. He will succeed Jess Merten, who has transitioned to the role of President of Property-Liability operations.
Core Summary
- Allstate announced on Tuesday that it has selected CoStar Group Chief Financial Officer Christian Lown to succeed as its CFO, effective August 3.
- According to a securities filing, Lown will receive an annual base salary of $875,000 in his new role and a one-time cash signing bonus of $2 million within 60 days of joining.
- Lown will succeed Jess Merten, who was appointed president of the property-liability business in October 2025 after serving as Allstate's CFO for three years.
In-Depth Analysis
With more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in finance and capital markets, Lown joins Allstate at a critical time as the company continues to strengthen market share and customer protection capabilities in its property-liability business.
Before joining Allstate, Lown spent two years at CoStar Group, a company focused on commercial real estate information and analytics. Earlier, he served as CFO of Freddie Mac and Navient Corporation, and held senior finance roles at Morgan Stanley and UBS.
"Chris's leadership and capital markets expertise will help us continue to grow market share in our property-liability business and expand protection for our customers," Allstate Chairman and CEO Tom Wilson said in a press release.
The release also noted that John Dugenske, president of Allstate's investments and corporate strategy, had been serving as interim CFO and will continue in that role until Lown officially assumes the position.