Liberty Mutual Insurance and SVP Paul Alexander Win 6th Annual FCS Financial Marketer of the Year Award for 2011 Accomplishments

NEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Financial Communications Society (FCS) announced today that Liberty Mutual Insurance has been named the 2011 FCS Financial Marketer of the Year.  The award will be presented to Paul Alexander, Senior Vice President, Communications at a gala luncheon sponsored by CNBC at the New York Yacht Club, http://www.nyyc.org, on Thursday, January 26, 2012.  The luncheon's keynote address will be provided by Bill Griffeth, co-anchor of the 3PM hour of CNBC's "Closing Bell.  Tickets are available at www.fcsinteractive.com.

The award, presented annually since 2006, recognizes a financial services firm whose marketing has driven outstanding business results over the prior year.  Liberty Mutual – a prominent provider of insurance products for individuals and businesses – was recognized for The Responsibility Project, its online content platform, with over 700 original videos, essays, and blogs, which explores what it means to "do the right thing."

The Judging Panel for the 2011 FCS Financial Marketer of the Year Award included 21 senior executives from leading financial companies and agencies:

• Lisa Abbatiello, CEO, Leo Burnett Business
• Jim Bacharach, VP, Brand Strategy & Communications, John Hancock
• Mark Blair, Chief Marketing Officer, Black Rock
• Renee Brown, SVP, Director of Wealth, Brokerage and Retirement Marketing, Wells Fargo & Co.      
• Jamie DePeau, Chief Marketing Officer, Lincoln Financial Group
• Laurine Garrity, Chief Marketing Officer, Charles Schwab
• Barbara Glasser, SVP Marketing, TD Bank Group
• John Greer, Executive Vice President, Global Brand and Advertising, Franklin Templeton Investments
• Patty Sachs Goldstein, JWT North American Business Director, HSBC, J Walter Thompson
• Stacy Haefele, President at HNW, Inc
• Joan Khoury, Head of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Marketing, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
• Sue King, Global Head of Marketing, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Morgan Stanley
• Michael Ma, Senior Manager, Prospect Marketing, Vanguard Group, Inc.
• Gary MacDonald, Managing Director and Global Head of ETF Marketing, State Street Global Advisors
• Jeff Meier, SVP, Executive Creative Director, The Arnell Group
• Tim Mickelborough, Global Head of Brand Management and Advertising Services, Thomson Reuters
• Brantley Orrell, Managing Director, Brand Marketing, BNY Mellon
• Paula Pullano, Global Head of Marketing, Private Banking, JPMorgan
• Dan Ross, CEO, Wechsler Ross & Partners
• Janice Schillig, Executive Director, Head of Creative Solutions and Content Management, UBS
• Barbara Sullivan, Managing Partner, Sullivan & Co

"The FCS is proud to bestow this award on Liberty Mutual for its stand-out success in a year that continued to challenge financial marketers across categories.  Thinking outside the traditional channels, Paul Alexander and his team leveraged the power of social media to create a meaningful dialogue with consumers," said Kevin Windorf, President of the FCS.

"Responsibility is a core value for Liberty Mutual Insurance. We believe that doing the right thing for our customers and our business partners, and treating people with dignity and respect, will always resonate. And the interest we've experienced in the Responsibility Project has proven this to be true," said Paul Alexander.  According to the award entry provided by Alexander's team, "Rather than a 360-degree campaign, Liberty would find a way to have a 365 day-a-year discussion about what it means to do the right thing.  To engage high-value prospects, the brand would fuel conversations about responsibility in the arts, current events, international cultures, history, health and technology, which are natural, non-insurance ways to inject the brand into consumers' everyday lives."

The FCS Financial Marketer of the Year Award recognizes innovation, creativity and impact in the financial services marketplace, and recognizes the marketing organization whose strong performance provides an inspiring example of how marketing and communications can advance a firm's business objectives and elevate the standard for exceptional work.

This year's FCS Financial Marketer of the Year Committee is co-chaired by Chris Bacon, Executive Director, Global Advertising & Sponsorships, Morgan Stanley; Hayward Henderson, Director of Online Sales, Asset International; John Mittnacht, Senior Director Client Services, The Brand Union; and Robert Foothorap, Vice President, Global Advertising Sales, CNBC.  Committee members include Jennifer Masiello, Administrative Director, FCS; Brent Buntin, Vice President, Advertiser Solutions, AdKeeper; Ken Johnston, VP Sales, North America, Dianomi Inc; Steve Facini, Senior Vice President, Director of Client Account Services, Citi Personal Wealth Management; Tom Jago, Managing Director, The Ward Group; Jeremy Dickstein, Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch; and Alanna Maharajh Stone, Public Relalations consultant.

About Financial Communications Society (www.fcsinteractive.com):  

The Financial Communications Society (FCS), a not-for-profit organization founded in 1967, is dedicated to improving professional standards in financial communications.  It provides professionals in the industry with a forum for gathering relevant information, sharing ideas and building relationships with industry colleagues.  The FCS hosts the annual FCS Portfolio Awards for creative excellence in financial services advertising/collateral/digital media; the annual FCS Financial Marketer of the Year Award; a monthly luncheon series featuring prominent industry speakers; and numerous educational and networking events throughout the year.  In 2011, the FCS founded a chapter in Chicago.  The capstone of the annual charity-focused activities organized by the FCS is the FCS Race for Kids (www.fcsraceforkids.org) which has raised more than $1.5 million since 2000 for three children's charities:  Hope & Heroes Children's Cancer Fund, Make A Wish Foundation, and Downey Side Adoption Agency.

Press Contact:
Kevin Windorf
347-276-0044
[email protected]

SOURCE Financial Communications Society