Aflac Makes Ethisphere's Annual World's Most Ethical Companies List

COLUMBUS, Ga., March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the number one provider of supplemental insurance in the United States, serving more than 50 million people in the United States and Japan, has been selected to Ethisphere's 2013 annual list of World's Most Ethical Companies. Aflac is the only insurance company to appear on the prestigious list for seven consecutive years.

"We are always proud to be part of Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies list because it is the best endorsement of our belief that ethics and profits go hand in hand," Aflac Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dan Amos said.  "At Aflac, we believe that treating policyholders and  shareholders with honesty and integrity is just as important as the peace of mind that our policies deliver to our customers."

Companies appearing on the 2013 list were honored last night at Ethisphere's annual Global Ethics Summit; a two day program that includes various panel discussions attended by business executives from both global and domestic companies. Aflac Director Robert "Ben" Johnson is a featured panelist in today's "View from the Board" session held at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.

A record number of nominations and applications this year is evidence of both the World's Most Ethical Companies' growing recognition by various stakeholder groups and companies' desire to be recognized for their integrity standards and ethical cultures. The 2013 list is the largest since the award's inception in 2007.

"Not only did more companies apply for the World's Most Ethical Companies recognition this year than any year in the past, which demonstrates that ethical activity is an important part of many of these companies' business models, but we are also seeing more companies be proactive and create new initiatives that expand ethics programs and cultures across entire industries, such as industry-based ethics associations and other activities," said Alex Brigham, Executive Director of Ethisphere. "We are excited to see the 2013 World's Most Ethical Companies take these leadership positions, and embrace the correlation between ethical behavior and improved financial performance."

Through in-depth research and a multi-step analysis, Ethisphere reviewed nominations from companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries. The methodology for the World's Most Ethical Companies includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.

Read about the methodology and view the complete list of the 2013 World's Most Ethical Companies at http://ethisphere.com/wme. The World's Most Ethical Companies list will also be featured in the 2013 Quarter 1 issue of Ethisphere Magazine.

About Aflac
When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For nearly six decades, 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 life insurance company in terms of individual policies in force. Aflac individual and group insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For seven consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2013, FORTUNE magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 15th consecutive year. Also, in 2013, FORTUNE magazine included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 12th time, ranking the company number one in the life and health insurance category. 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 or espanol.aflac.com.

About Ethisphere Institute
The research-based Ethisphere^® Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World's Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures that include: Ethics Inside^® Certification, Compliance Leader Verification™ and Anti-Corruption Program Verification. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.

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Media Contacts:
Laura Kane
Aflac Incorporated
706.596.3493
706.593.0786 (cell)
[email protected]        

Jon A. Sullivan
Aflac Incorporated
706.596.3493
706.573.7610 (cell)
[email protected]     

Aubrie Artiano
Managing Editor
Ethisphere
[email protected]                                                                                        

Analyst and Investor Contact:
Robin Y. Wilkey                     
Aflac Incorporated 
1.800.235.2667       
Fax: 706.324.6330     
[email protected]     

SOURCE Aflac