ING Employee Benefits Hires Two New Key Voluntary Benefits Leaders

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ING's U.S. Insurance division recently hired Lydia Jilek as head of voluntary products and Jolynn Esterly-Stern as supervisor of implementation management for the voluntary benefits business.  The voluntary market is a key focus and growth area for ING Employee Benefits, which offers traditional group life and disability income insurance, stop-loss insurance, and voluntary benefits to employees.

"These hires are part of our strategy to assemble a top-notch leadership team in voluntary benefits," said Heather Lavallee, head of employee benefits distribution.  "There is tremendous opportunity in the voluntary benefits area, which we are well positioned to tap.  A comprehensive product line-up and smooth implementation process are crucial to our business.  Our deep experience in the business and influx of fresh talent position us for success."

As head of voluntary products, Jilek's focus will be on driving the overall product strategy to deliver the most effective products, marketing, and processes to employers.  These efforts aim to position the voluntary business for accelerated growth.

Jilek comes to ING from UNUM where she was Director of Product and Market Development for Accident and Health Products with a heavy emphasis on healthcare reform.  Prior to UNUM, Jilek was a Product Manager at Medica Health Plans where she led the development and implementation of consumer directed product suites (Health Reimbursement Arrangements, Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts).

In Esterly-Stern's new role as implementation supervisor, she will oversee the implementation process from beginning to end for voluntary business to ensure customer satisfaction and a smooth installation process.

Esterly-Stern brings many years of ING experience to the position.  In her most recent ING role, she managed the successful implementation of voluntary cases, coordinating project plans, communicating with customers to ensure satisfaction, and providing product and enrollment training.  Esterly-Stern is Lean Six Sigma certified and completed the Six Sigma Green Belt Training.

ING's voluntary team has solidified over the last several months; Jilek and Esterly-Stern join the company on the heels of other key hires to form a top-notch team filled with industry veterans.  Marc Lower, the new head of voluntary benefits sales and strategy, comes to ING with more than 25 years of experience in employee benefits.  In addition, six new regional directors, Brian Bly, Shane Brodersen, Valerie Cyr, Michael Martocci, Terri Orem, and Nicholas Turano bring a combined 136 years of experience to ING.

For more information about ING Employee Benefits voluntary business, contact Marc Lower at [email protected].

About ING

ING U.S. is a subsidiary of Dutch-based ING Groep NV. In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits and financial planning. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves approximately 15 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.us.

ING Employee Benefits has more than 60 years of experience in the voluntary benefits business. Voluntary benefits are benefits offered at the workplace and elected and paid for by employees. ING Employee Benefits voluntary products include accident, critical illness, whole life, universal life, and disability income insurance. Insurance products are issued by ReliaStar Life Insurance Company (Minneapolis, MN) and ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York (Woodbury, NY). Within the State of New York, only ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York is admitted, and its products issued. Both are members of the ING family of companies. Each insurer is solely responsible for the financial obligations under the policies or contracts it issues.

SOURCE ING