OREANDA-NEWS. Junior Achievement of New Jersey (JANJ) announced that Barbara G. Koster of Prudential Financial, Inc. has been elected to its State Board of Directors.

“We are pleased to have Barbara join our Board of Directors and bring her extensive background of insurance, finance and banking. Her leadership in the business community will help Junior Achievement ensure future success,” said Catherine Milone, President of Junior Achievement of New Jersey.

Barbara is currently Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Prudential and head of the Global Business & Technology Solutions Department. She has oversight responsibility for information technology at all Prudential locations worldwide and ensures the privacy and integrity of Prudential’s information. She formulates policies, establishes standards and architectures, and develops guidelines and management practices. Koster also manages the company’s global networks, data centers and other technology infrastructure; and oversees the company’s Veterans Initiatives, a companywide program that supports recruiting and other initiatives that help veterans transition from military to civilian life.

In addition, Koster is chairman of the board of Pramerica Systems Ireland, Ltd. and founding member of Prudential Systems Japan, Ltd., both technology subsidiaries of Prudential Financial, Inc.

Previously Koster served as vice president and chief information officer in Individual Life Insurance Systems where she was responsible for a wide range of technologies when she joined Prudential in 1995.

Prior to joining Prudential, Koster held several positions with Chase Manhattan Bank, including that of president of Chase Access Services.

In 2013, she was inducted into Junior Achievement’s New Jersey Business Hall of Fame and was named one of the “Best 50 Women in Business” by NJBiz in 2011. She was named CIO of the Year in 2008 by the Executive Council. She also has been named among the Premier IT Leaders by Computerworld magazine and received the 1999 Women in Science and Technology award from the Smithsonian Institute.