NEW YORK, March 15, 2007—Assurant, Inc. ("Assurant") (NYSE: AIZ), a premier provider of specialty insurance and insurance-related products and services, announced today that John B. Euwema has joined the company's legal department as senior vice president.
Mr. Euwema, 55, brings more than 30 years of experience to Assurant. He was most recently senior vice president, general counsel, secretary and chief compliance officer for GE Consumer Finance Partnership Marketing Group where he managed a staff of 40 attorneys, paralegals, claims personnel, compliance analysts and public relations specialists. His legal experience includes: acquisitions and joint ventures; regulatory and legislative affairs; as well as marketing and compliance.
Mr. Euwema will work closely with Ms. Karen Porter-Wolf over the next several months to transition into her current role as Assurant's senior vice president, regulatory compliance, as she prepares to take on a new position within the company. In this capacity, Mr. Euwema will be responsible for managing Assurant's company-wide regulatory compliance activities to ensure uniformity and maximize operational efficiency. Until the transition is completed, Ms. Porter-Wolf will remain head of regulatory compliance.
"Assurant's cross-company practice group structure with specialized focus areas for corporate, government relations, litigation/human resources, and regulatory compliance functions ensures consistency across Assurant and allows us to respond to business and customer needs with great efficiency," said Jerome Atkinson, Assurant's executive vice president and chief compliance officer: "John's extensive legal knowledge and experience in numerous insurance lines will be a tremendous asset to our regulatory compliance practice group and to our business."
A member of the Michigan and Illinois bars, Mr. Euwema earned a juris doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law and a bachelor's degree from Calvin College. He is a former president and legislative chairman of the National Automobile and Travel Organization and is a current member of both the Illinois Life Insurance Council Legislative Committee and the Consumer Credit Insurance Association.
Ms. Porter-Wolf, 43, joined Assurant in 1995 as manager, claims call center, and was promoted to director, claims call center in 1997. She was named managing director and vice president of ABIG Services Ireland, Limited in 1999 where she was responsible for opening Assurant Solutions' claims office in Ireland and for managing the office's daily operations. She was promoted to senior vice president, regulatory compliance, Assurant Solutions in 2001. Prior to joining Assurant, she was assistant vice president, J.I. Kislak Mortgage Corporation in Miami, FL. She earned a B.S. in business administration from the University of Florida.
Mr. Atkinson added: "Karen has done an outstanding job in each of the roles she has held at Assurant and most recently in leading our cross-company regulatory compliance practice group. Her rotation to a new position within the company broadens her experience in another area of the business and further underscores Assurant's commitment to leadership development and succession planning."
Assurant is a premier provider of specialized insurance products and related services in North America and selected international markets. Its four key businesses—Assurant Employee Benefits, Assurant Health, Assurant Solutions and Assurant Specialty Property—have partnered with clients who are leaders in their industries and have built leadership positions in a number of specialty insurance market segments worldwide.
Assurant, a Fortune 500 company, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AIZ. Assurant has more than $20 billion in assets and $7 billion in annual revenue. The Assurant Web site is www.assurant.com.
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