The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG), today announced that Neal Wolin, president and chief operating officer of the company’s Property and Casualty Operations, has accepted a position in the White House as Deputy Counsel to the President for Economic Policy and Deputy Assistant to the President.
“President Obama is building an outstanding economic team to address the many complex challenges facing the nation and our financial system,” said Ramani Ayer, chairman and chief executive officer. “We recognize the unique call to service this presents for Neal and wish him all the best in his return to Washington. For nearly eight years, Neal has been both a wonderful colleague and an outstanding leader for The Hartford and we are of course disappointed with this news. That said, we are fortunate to have a strong and experienced property and casualty team to continue the excellent work underway.”
“It has been an extraordinary privilege to be a part of The Hartford’s leadership team and the company’s nearly 200-year history,” said Wolin. “I have great confidence in the future of the property and casualty operations and have no doubt that the strategies and initiatives we have put in place effectively position the business for success. Given the importance of the issues facing the country, there is no greater honor than being called to serve. I am looking forward to being part of the President’s team of advisors in this most challenging period.”
Wolin joined The Hartford in 2001 as executive vice president and general counsel. He was promoted to president and chief operating officer of the company’s Property and Casualty Operations in June 2007. Prior to joining The Hartford, he served in several positions in the U.S. Government, including General Counsel of the Department of the Treasury, Executive Assistant to the National Security Advisor and as Deputy Legal Adviser to the National Security Council. Wolin earned his J.D. from Yale Law School, his M.Sc. in Development Economics from the University of Oxford and his bachelor’s degree from Yale University.
In conjunction with this announcement, The Hartford named two of its senior property and casualty executives, Juan Andrade and Jonathan Bennett, as interim co-leads of the Property and Casualty Operations. Andrade and Bennett will report to The Hartford’s president and chief operating officer Tom Marra. A search for Wolin’s successor is underway.
Juan Andrade is currently executive vice president of sales and distribution for Property and Casualty. He joined The Hartford in 2006 when he assumed leadership of the P&C claims organization. Prior to joining The Hartford, Andrade held several leadership positions with The Progressive Corporation, and also held management positions with American International Group (AIG). Andrade earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in International Economics and Latin American Studies from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.
Jonathan Bennett is currently executive vice president of personal lines and small business insurance. Bennett joined The Hartford in 1999 as staff assistant to Ramani Ayer. He has since served in several leadership roles at the company, including vice president of corporate development, head of the eBusiness Ventures Team, and senior vice president of product management for the personal lines division. He was promoted to his current role in 2005. Before joining The Hartford, Bennett was with CIGNA, leading institutional fund strategy and marketing for the individual insurance division and as a product manager for corporate-owned life insurance. Prior to CIGNA, Bennett was with Arthur Andersen LLP. Bennett is a graduate of Connecticut College and earned a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Hartford. He is a certified public accountant.
About The Hartford
The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest financial services companies, with 2007 revenues of $25.9 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.
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Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.
Contacts:
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
Media Contact(s):
Shannon
Lapierre, 860-547-5624
Shannon.Lapierre@thehartford.com
or
Dave
Snowden, 860-547-3397
David.snowden@thehartford.com
or
Investor
Contact(s):
Rick Costello, 860-547-8480
Richard.Costello@thehartford.com
or
JR
Reilly, 860-547-9140
Jr.reilly@thehartford.com
