Lang to Retire as Homesteaders CEO in March 2018, Board Approves Succession Plan

West Des Moines, IA – As part of a long-term strategically planned leadership transition, Homesteaders Life Company Chairman, President and CEO Stephen Lang announced today that he intends to retire in March 2018. He has proposed to the Board of Directors a succession plan that includes the appointment of Homesteaders’ Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Shaffer, as the company’s tenth President and CEO at the time of Lang’s retirement.

The Board of Directors approved the succession plan during its May 2017 meeting, which includes Shaffer’s increasing assumption of additional day-to-day management functions for the company. Lang will remain on the Board of Directors following his retirement as CEO, serving as Chairman through February 2019.

“Steve Shaffer has been a huge asset to Homesteaders since he joined the company in 2014,” said Lang. “He’s a well-known and influential executive in the funeral and cemetery business, whose experience and track record is a solid match with Homesteaders’ longstanding commitment to customer success and promoting the value of funeral service.”

Joining the company in 2008 as an Executive Vice President responsible for sales, marketing and customer service, Lang was later named Chief Operating Officer and ultimately President/CEO in February 2014. He joined the company as part of a long-term succession plan under then Chairman, President and CEO Graham J. Cook. Lang’s mission was to guide and grow the company while building a team to provide long-term leadership for Homesteaders. “I am pleased to report that Homesteaders is stronger than ever, and we have an experienced leadership team ready to take Homesteaders to the next level,” said Lang.

Shaffer co-founded and served as President and CEO of Foundation Partners Group, LLC. He led an organization created to combine the best aspects of conventional end-of-life care with new ideas and technology that enabled families to plan, prepare, acknowledge and share the purpose of a life. He was a co-founder and CFO of Keystone Group Holdings, Inc. between 1996 and 2010. Shaffer has served as a Funeral Service Foundation Trustee since 2010 and was the Foundation’s 2014-15 Board Chair. He has been Homesteaders COO since 2014.

Homesteaders Life Company is a national leader providing products and services to promote and support the funding of advance funeral planning and end-of-life expenses.