ING Financial Solutions CEO Lynne Ford Delivers Keynote Speech at IRI's Operations & Technology Conference

BOSTON, July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ING Financial Solutions CEO Lynne Ford will deliver the keynote speech at the Insured Retirement Institute's (IRI) Operations & Technology Conference in Boston today. IRI's annual Operations & Technology Conference is designed for the retirement industry's technology and operations professionals and focuses on the strategies the industry should collectively pursue in order to help distribution partners and customers effectively prepare for their retirement years.

Ford's speech is titled: The Future of Retirement – Why the Insurance Industry Has Never Been More Important to Americans Planning Their Retirement. Ford will focus on how insurance companies need to evolve with rapidly changing customer needs and behaviors, including the importance of utilizing technology, to become the most customer-focused segment of the financial services industry.

Ford states: "A lot has changed in the past 20 years. One thing is certain – there will be more change in the next 20 years than there was in the previous 20 years. All of this change has brought us to a watershed moment in the financial services industry – provided we maximize the potential of technology. If we can truly harness that potential, the insurance industry can reach yet-to-be-tapped potential for helping Americans prepare for retirement."

Ford sits on the board of directors for the IRI. IRI is a not-for-profit organization and is the authoritative source of all things pertaining to annuities, insured retirement strategies and retirement planning. IRI exists to vigorously promote consumer confidence in the value and viability of insured retirement strategies, bringing together the interests of the industry, financial advisors and consumers under one umbrella.

About ING

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 40 countries. With a diverse workforce of over 107,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

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, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits and financial planning. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves nearly 30 million customers across the nation.

SOURCE ING