Leadership Team

President and CEO Mark Steffe brings more than three decades of experience in the financial services industry and a leadership style grounded in authenticity, clarity and service to First Command.

Mark joined the company as a senior vice president and chief of staff of advisor operations in 2010. In his subsequent roles as senior vice president, director of advisor operations for the Midwest Division and executive vice president, national director of advisor operations, Mark helped build strong, collaborative relationships between Advisors, company leaders and key support teams. His accomplishments and proven leadership led to his promotion to president in 2017 and expanded COO responsibilities in 2018.  

In early 2020, he was appointed CEO and led the company through the COVID-19 pandemic with poise, transparency, and care, prioritizing workforce stability and client continuity. Since then, Mark has ushered First Command through strategic transformation, reinforcing its mission while evolving its structure. He is proud of the organization’s growth, inclusive culture, and cross-functional collaboration.

Mark began his career in financial services in 1991, advancing through leadership roles in sales, strategy, operations, and advisor development. Raised in a working-class family, he carries deep respect for the values held by hard-working Americans, which fuels his devotion to supporting military families through financial empowerment.

Leading with integrity, Mark is a builder driven to set the tone for what’s possible. Under his leadership, First Command, through its subsidiaries, maintains more than $45.5 billion in managed accounts and mutual funds, with more than $70 billion in life insurance coverage in force. Additionally, First Command Bank holds more than $1 billion in total assets. He currently serves on the First Command Financial Services board, the First Command Bank board, and the board of the Financial Services Institute.

Mark graduated with high honors from the University of Illinois, earning a Bachelor of Science in Finance. He holds Series 7, 8, 23, 63 and 65 securities registrations and completed the Harvard University Advanced Management Program in 2015.

He lives in Texas with his wife and is the proud father of five children, cherishing every opportunity to make memories with them.

Chief Operating Officer Kellie Richter is an experienced-focused leader who drives First Command’s growth. She oversees technology, experience design, digital solutions, data, service, and operations to improve the experiences of clients and the workforce. Her strong understanding of the company’s mission, brand, reputation, and market position enables her teams to translate company strategies into real results that create value for our clients. Kellie joined First Command in 2016 as the chief marketing officer, bringing over 25 years of industry experience. Her work in strategic marketing and brand development in the military community led to her promotion in 2019 to chief marketing and client experience officer. She added experience design, client service, financial products, and digital solutions in this expanded role.

Previously, Kellie spent seven years as the chief marketing officer for Provasi Capital Partners, a Dallas-based investment company. She led their rebranding campaign and launched the firm’s first digital and thought leadership programs during this time. Before that, Kellie served as the senior vice president of marketing strategy at AIG Retirement (formerly VALIC) and AIG Annuity, where she led all aspects of the branding initiatives that transformed AIG VALIC into AIG Retirement. Her career in financial services began in 1990 at Ameriprise Financial Services, and she eventually became the company’s vice president of products and marketing.

Kellie is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas with a Master of Business Communications degree and St. Cloud State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She holds FINRA Series 7, 24 and 63 securities registrations, and she completed the prestigious Columbia Business School Chief Marketing Officer Program. She is a member of the American Marketing Association and the Financial Services Institute, where she supports its marketing, growth, and development efforts. Earning extensive recognition for her work, Kellie received the Stevie Award for Executive Woman of the Year in Financial Services and the American Express Chairman’s Award. She is also a finalist for the American Marketing Association’s 2016 CMO of the Year.

An active member in the local and military communities, Kellie has served on the board of United Way of Tarrant County, and continues to actively support Women United which works to improve the lives of women and girls in the community. She served on the board of the First Command Educational Foundation, which provides financial readiness programs and scholarships for service members, and The Board Connection, which prepares women for service on public boards.  Kellie coached clients of the Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas for job readiness, and she helps young marketing professionals develop their careers through Menttium, a global corporate mentoring organization.

Kellie and her husband, Bob, live in Fort Worth, Texas, and have two sons.

Executive Vice President and National Director of Advisor Operations John Osarczuk leads more than 600 Financial Advisors in fulfilling the company’s mission of coaching military families in their pursuit of financial security. John brings a unique perspective that guides the company’s strategy, culture, and growth as a member of the Executive Leadership Team with both military and field advisor experience.

John joined First Command in 2004 as a Financial Advisor in Manhattan, Kansas. He went on to serve as a District Advisor in Killeen, Texas, and then assumed the role of chief of staff at the Home Office. In 2019, he became director of Advisor Operations for the Northeast Division before being promoted to his current position in 2021.

A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Factors Engineering, John served 10 years as a U.S. Air Force helicopter pilot, including duty in Germany, attaining the rank of captain. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Information Systems from the University of Maryland. Prior to joining First Command, he held leadership roles in the manufacturing industry as a product manager.

John is committed to advancing First Command’s values of Courage, Love, and Effectiveness, and is recognized internally for building a culture of accountability that focuses on accomplishing our mission through business results and a constant focus on putting client interests first.

John holds Series 6, 26, 63, and 65 securities licenses, plus state life and health insurance licenses. John and his spouse, Teresa, have two adult daughters - one daughter is a nurse practitioner, and the other is pursuing graduate studies. John enjoys hunting, fishing, and shooting sports.

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Sunday Grace leads financial strategy, governance, and enterprise initiatives that drive corporate transformation. In this role she oversees financial and investment management, compensation programs, and project execution while championing transparency, accountability, and an ownership mindset in service of the company’s mission.

Since joining First Command in 2005 as a financial analyst, Sunday has built and led the Financial Planning and Analytics function, and held progressive roles where she helped shift the organization toward forward-looking planning and forecasting. She played a key role in guiding the company through major transitions, restructuring financials, and renegotiating critical partnerships to free capital for investment and growth. Promoted to CFO in 2019, she has led with clarity and resilience through challenges, including COVID and volatile markets.

Sunday sees Finance as an enabler of success across the enterprise. She launched a financial acumen course to empower leaders in both Finance and the Field to understand and apply financial data to decision-making. Her leadership emphasizes respect for people, bold decision-making in support of long-term strategy, and transparent communication that connects every role to the company’s mission of serving military families.

A certified public accountant, Sunday earned her BBA in Accounting from the University of Texas at Arlington and her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She also completed the Texas Tech Excellence in Banking program and the Southwest Graduate School of Banking. She serves on the board of the First Command Education Foundation and chairs the Financial Services Institute Finance and Accounting Council.

Sunday and her husband, Chad, live in Aledo, Texas, with their two children, Jude and Collier, and two dogs. She also serves on the board of a local theatre, an extension of her years as a proud theatre mom, and enjoys scuba diving with her husband.

Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Leadership Development Shawna Dover leads the company’s people and culture strategy, ensuring an engaged workforce that aligns with the mission of coaching military families in their pursuit of financial security.

Since joining First Command in 2010, Shawna has been intentional in design and promotion of a culture that is mission-driven, client-focused, inclusive, high performing, and collaborative. In her role, she leads strategic people initiatives spanning leadership, employee experience, talent development, succession planning, organizational design, diversity and inclusion, consulting, and total rewards. The company’s core values of love, courage, and effectiveness are active guides in her work, shaping executive decision making and ensuring that every decision reflects a commitment to doing the right thing for First Command’s people and mission.

Shawna has more than 20 years of experience in human resources, and held leadership roles across financial services, aviation, and professional services. Since joining First Command, she has applied that expertise to aligning people and culture with the company’s mission of coaching military families, ensuring individuals across the organization are equipped to succeed and grow together.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Management from Western Governors University and completed the Advanced Human Resources Executive Program at the University of Michigan. She also holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation and has pursued continuing education through the Columbia Business School Executive Education program.

With loved ones who proudly served in the Army, Shawna grew up surrounded by examples of service and sacrifice. That perspective grounds her leadership and fuels her commitment to people. A native Texan, she enjoys time with her husband, Curt, and their daughters, Jolie and Alyson. She credits her faith as a daily source of joy, peace, and resilience.

As the Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for First Command Financial Services, Eric serves as an essential member of the Executive Leadership Team overseeing the following teams under the Legal and Compliance Department: Legal, Compliance, Internal Audit, Enterprise Risk Management, Supervision and Surveillance. He is also responsible for supporting the First Command Board of Directors, including its Risk Management Committee and the Joint Audit and Risk Management Committee. Eric helps inform First Command’s government relations strategy by serving as the treasurer of First Command’s Political Action Committee. Eric leads the Legal and Compliance Department’s operational goals and budgeting process, and he oversees and supports all litigation, regulatory examinations, employment and commercial disputes, and issues involving Financial Advisors. 

Eric’s collaborative approach to counseling business partners has made him an integral part of the executive team. With an ever-changing regulatory environment and the need to find practical solutions to complex business and regulatory matters, his mantra is, “Let’s find ways to get to YES!” 

Prior to joining First Command, Eric practiced at the global law firm, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. His practice focused on investment adviser and broker-dealer litigation, regulatory enforcement, internal investigations, and securities compliance matters. He represented broker-dealers, investment advisers, insurance companies, financial technology firms, and other market participants in complex, high stakes securities litigation, arbitration, examinations, investigations and enforcement proceedings involving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and state securities agencies. 

Prior to joining Bryan Cave, Eric served as a senior legal executive at Avantax, a diversified wealth management company, for eight years. And before relocating to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Eric started his career as an assistant district attorney in New York City, where he investigated and prosecuted white-collar criminal cases. 

Eric earned his juris doctor from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University in New York City and his undergraduate degree from The University of Vermont. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. 

In his free time, Eric enjoys coaching his son’s basketball and ice hockey teams, and watching his daughter excel in gymnastics and soccer. He escapes to Colorado with his family to go fly fishing during the summer, and to ski and snowboard in the winter.