Bill Pappas, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Technology and Operations at MetLife, has been named to TIME’s Executives of the Year: Tech & Data list for 2026, recognizing 50 leaders shaping the future of technology. The recognition cites Pappas’s strategic approach to modernization, measurable AI outcomes, and innovative thinking about both offensive and defensive applications of emerging technology in the enterprise. “AI is not technology-led; it’s CEO-led,” Pappas said. “It’s changing the way we look at efficiency, at individual productivity, and our growth.”
About Bill Pappas
Pappas oversees more than 38,000 technology and operations staff at MetLife, managing technology development, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data strategy, customer service, operations, and procurement across the company’s global business serving more than 90 million customers in over 40 countries. He led MetLife’s multi-year, $3.2 billion modernization initiative and has more recently turned his focus to AI integration, work that has yielded faster claims processing, reduced expenses, and improved customer satisfaction. He has also established a team dedicated to using AI to protect against AI-driven threats. “This whole thing is about learning, unlearning, and relearning,” Pappas said of leading a workforce through continuous technological change.
Pappas joined MetLife in November 2019 as Executive Vice President and Head of Global Technology and Operations, reporting directly to CEO Michel Khalaf. “With his vast experience leading technology and operations at the highest levels of the financial services industry, Bill will be a valuable addition to our leadership team. Bill is a strategic thinker who understands that to win in the marketplace we must differentiate ourselves — by delivering an outstanding customer experience, fostering a culture of innovation, and embracing operational excellence,” Khalaf said at the time.
Before MetLife, Pappas spent more than seven years at Bank of America, where he most recently served as head of operations for the bank’s consumer, small business, wealth management, and private banking divisions, overseeing more than 50,000 employees and contractors serving 63 million clients. He also served as the bank’s chief information officer for global wholesale banking, head of global capital markets operations, head of technology and operations for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, and global treasury payment operations executive based in London. Earlier in his career, he spent seven years at General Electric Capital Services in the U.S. and Europe.
Pappas holds a B.A. cum laude in government and an MBA in international business, both from Bentley University, where he serves on the Board of Trustees. He has previously been named to Forbes’ CIO Next list, won a 2024 Stevie Technology Executive of the Year award, and was named NC TECH CIO of the Year.
About MetLife
MetLife is a global insurance and financial services company headquartered in New York, providing health insurance, life insurance, retirement solutions, and investment management services to individuals, employers, and businesses. The company operates across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa, serving millions of customers worldwide as one of the leading providers of employee benefits and insurance globally. The technology and operations organization Pappas leads is anchored by MetLife’s global technology hub in Cary, North Carolina.
