Cabinet Executive Officer (CEO), Executive Deputy Director Barbara D. Richardson
Barbara D. Richardson joined the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI) in March of 2023. CEO Richardson brings an impressive resume of regulatory and industry experience to DIFI. Prior to her leadership appointment at DIFI, CEO Richardson led the Nevada Division of Insurance as its Commissioner, a position she held since March of 2016. Prior to leading that agency, CEO Richardson served for twelve years as the Director of Operations and Fraud for the New Hampshire Insurance Department. Additionally, she has worked at various times in her career for CNA, Kemper Financial, the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago and Putnam Securities.
CEO Richardson is a graduate of Vassar College, has a law degree from the University of New Hampshire School of Law, and an MBA from Loyola University in Chicago. She taught Insurance Law at the University of New Hampshire School of Law and Paralegal courses at Franklin Pierce College. On a national level, she has been an active member on various committees, task forces and work groups of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), including most recently, the Market Regulation and Consumer Services Committee, the Life Insurance Committee, the Innovation Task Force, and the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission. CEO Richardson is a member of the National Institute for State Credit Union Examination Board of Trustees and a member of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors Fintech Forum.
Chief Deputy Director of Finance Deian Ousounov
Deian Ousounov joined the Arizona Department of Insurance in February 2020 as the Regulatory Legal Affairs Officer. In July 2020, Deian helped oversee the transition of the Department of Insurance into the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI).
Deian has held a variety of roles during his tenure with DIFI. Prior to his promotion to Chief Deputy Director of Finance, Deian managed the Department’s investigative, legal and enforcement functions as the Assistant Director of the Department’s Enforcement, Innovation and Regulatory Policy Division.
Prior to joining DIFI, Deian spent over five years with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, working in various divisions and representing the Department of Insurance before the Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings on all administrative and enforcement matters.
Deian completed his bachelors of science degree at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) and attained his J.D. from the Arizona Summit Law School.
In his free time, Deian enjoys a variety of activities and is an avid tennis and soccer player.
Assistant Director of Insurance Lori Dreaver Munn
Lori Dreaver Munn joined the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions in May 2024 as the Assistant Director of Insurance. Before joining DIFI, she was the Director of Compliance and Government Relations at the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS), an advisory organization for the insurance industry. Her focus while at AAIS was on product compliance, government relations, insurance education, technology and modernization of insurance. Lori brings over 20 years of insurance knowledge to DIFI, with previous experience at several different insurance companies as well as having managed her own insurance compliance consulting firm.
Lori completed a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University and has been active with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and the Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals (AICP).