Aflac Announces Resignation of U.S. Marketing Officer M. Jeffrey Charney, Names Michael W. Zuna to Lead Marketing Division

COLUMBUS, Ga., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aflac today announced that M. Jeffrey "Jeff" Charney has resigned as senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the company's U.S. insurance operation.  Charney joined Aflac in November 2008 and departs to accept a chief marketing officer position with another company.  The company also announced today that veteran marketing expert Michael W. Zuna, who joined Aflac as vice president of Marketing last year, has been named to lead the Marketing division.

Zuna joined Aflac in 2009 as vice president of Marketing, having previously served as managing director at Saatchi & Saatchi New York.  Prior to his role at Saatchi & Saatchi, he held client leadership roles at Arnold Worldwide, Ogilvy & Mather, and Lord, Dentsu & Partners. For the last year, Zuna has managed Aflac's brand strategy, national advertising, business-to-business marketing, business-to-consumer marketing, and customer acquisition and retention. He has also been leading sales events, incentives and contests for Aflac's 70,000-plus sales team, as well as brand partnerships and promotions. Zuna graduated cum laude from the United States Naval Academy with a bachelor's degree in economics and is a military veteran, having served 10 years in the Navy.  He currently serves on the board of directors for Communicorp, Inc.

Reflecting upon his departure from Aflac, Charney said, "Together, we accomplished incredible things.  I'm blown away by how far we've come and know I'm leaving Aflac in the hands of an accomplished, capable and forward-thinking team of internal marketers teamed with a great slate of agencies."

Aflac President and Chief Operating Officer for Aflac U.S. Paul S. Amos II commented on the transition by saying: "We are appreciative of Jeff's contributions to Aflac. His energy and expertise furthered our brand and we wish him all the best in his new role.  Succession planning is a priority at Aflac, and we are pleased to name Michael Zuna, who has been a driving force within our Marketing division over the last year, to lead our Marketing efforts. Michael has proven himself as a leader with Marketing vision and expertise. I believe these attributes will serve Aflac, our policyholders, shareholders and employees well as we concentrate on giving policyholders the protection they need to focus on recovery."  

ABOUT AFLAC

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast.  For 55 years, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance. In Japan, Aflac is the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force. Aflac insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For four consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies, and Forbes magazine named Aflac as America's Best-Managed Company in the Insurance category. In 2010, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the twelfth consecutive year and also included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the ninth time. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com.

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Analyst and investor contact – Robin Y. Wilkey, 800.235.2667 – option 3, FAX: 706.324.6330, or [email protected]

Media contact – Laura Kane, 706.596.3493, FAX: 706.320.2288, or [email protected]

SOURCE Aflac Incorporated