Kevin Waetke, APR
As associate vice president, corporate marketing, Kevin Waetke leads internal and external communications efforts for Sammons Financial. With other members of the senior leadership team, he plays a critical role in defining communications strategy, and delivering clear and consistent messages to employees, agents and financial advisors, clients, and other audiences.
Prior to joining Sammons Financial, Waetke led communications for the National Pork Board. Having grown up on a century hog farm, he used his combination of agriculture and communications experience to define and share the story of U.S. pork production, shape the dialogue, and build relationships with the industry’s key players and 60,000 pig farmers.
Waetke also has a decade of experience in the financial services industry, having worked at U.K.-based life insurance and annuity leader Aviva plc, and, prior to that, as communications director for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Waetke has also led public relations for Maytag Corporation (Newton, Iowa), and MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company and Mercy Medical Center, both based in Des Moines. He is also a former news reporter and assignment editor for WHO-TV.
Actively involved in the Des Moines community, Waetke serves on Drake University’s National Advisory Council to the school of journalism, is past chair of the Anawim Housing Foundation board, and is a board member of the Clive Community Foundation. On a national level, Waetke completed two terms as a national board member of the Public Relations Society of America, serving on the finance committee. He was also vice-chair of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance communications committee. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Communications from Drake University, Des Moines. He and his family live in Johnston, Iowa.
