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The Hartford Appoints Steve Kluever as Vice President, Annuity Product & Marketing

^{Published on 2011-03-07 18:20:14 - Market Wire}
 

SIMSBURY, Conn.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG) today announced that former Jackson National executive Steve Kluever will join the company as vice president of product & marketing for its Global Annuity division. In this position, Kluever will report to Rob Arena, executive vice president and director of The Hartforda™s global annuity business, and will play a key role in driving the companya™s annuity product and marketing strategy going forward.

"I am thrilled to have someone with Stevea™s experience, prominence and proven track record join our organization"

aI am thrilled to have someone with Stevea™s experience, prominence and proven track record join our organization,a said Arena. aInvesting in the right talent, in addition to our products and services, is a key part of our strategy to improve our customer offering and grow our business going forward.a

Kluever joins The Hartford as the team prepares to introduce enhancements to the Hartforda™s Personal Retirement Manager variable annuity product suite, to be rolled out late in the second quarter. Specifically, he will be responsible for managing and developing the companya™s annuity product portfolio. He will also lead The Hartforda™s annuity marketing team to best position its products for success in the marketplace.

Kluever joins The Hartford from Jackson National where he most recently served as senior vice president of product and investment management. In this role, he was responsible for product development and competitive intelligence for annuities and life insurance as well as developing the investment portfolio for Jacksona™s variable insurance products. Kluever was also responsible for introducing the variable annuity industrya™s first stand-alone lifetime guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit. He began his career at Allstate in 1985, and in 1989 joined Lincoln, assuming roles of increasing responsibility in finance, marketing, and product. Kluever holds a B.S. in Economics from Illinois State University.

The addition of Kluever to the team is the latest of several investments The Hartford is making to better serve annuity clients and support business growth. In February, the company announced a pilot program to arm its external annuity wholesalers with iPad technology to better serve financial professionals. Last week, the company announced that it has nearly tripled its in-house annuity sales team since the beginning of 2011. And in the second quarter, the company will roll out enhancements to the Hartforda™s Personal Retirement Manager variable annuity product suite.

About The Hartford

Celebrating 200 years of helping its customers achieve whata™s ahead, The Hartford (NYSE: HIG) is an insurance and wealth management company. Through its unique focus on customer needs, the company serves businesses and consumers by providing the products and solutions they need to protect their assets and income from risks and manage their wealth and retirement needs. A Fortune 100 company, The Hartford is recognized widely for its service expertise and as one of the worlda™s most ethical companies. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at [ www.thehartford.com ].

HIG-W

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Annual Report for fiscal year 2009 on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

Variable annuities are issued by Hartford Life and Annuity Insurance Company, Simsbury, CT, and by Hartford Life Insurance Company, Simsbury, CT, and are underwritten and distributed by Hartford Securities Distribution Company, Inc.

aThe Hartforda is The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including the issuing companies of Hartford Life Insurance Company and Hartford Life and Annuity Insurance Company.