COLUMBUS, Ga., April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac Incorporated
(NYSE: AFL) announced today that it has hired Hideto Yamamoto as senior vice president; chief
investment officer of Aflac Japan. In this capacity, Yamamoto will
report globally to Executive Vice President; Global Chief
Investment Officer Eric M. Kirsch,
while reporting locally to Aflac Japan Executive Vice President of
Planning and Research, Risk Management and Compliance Masatoshi
Koide. Based out of the Tokyo
office, Yamamoto will chair the Japan Internal Investment Committee
and become a member of Aflac Japan's management committee. He will
also be responsible for leading and managing Aflac Japan's team of
investment professionals, while having oversight responsibility for
ensuring execution of globally approved investment strategy of the
Aflac Japan portfolio. He will be a member of the Global Investment
Committee and the Global Investment's Executive
Committee.
Yamamoto brings nearly three decades of international financial
and leadership experience to Aflac. Since 2000, he has served in
roles of increasing responsibility at DIAM International, most
recently serving as chief executive officer and chief investment
officer in the company's London
office. In his position, he broadened product offerings in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa, reorganizing the business development
group and strengthening governance structures. Previously at DIAM
International, Yamamoto was responsible for global fixed-income
products and European equity products. Prior to joining DIAM,
Yamamoto spent 15 years serving in roles of progressive
responsibility at the Industrial Bank of Japan, which included portfolio management,
and economic research. Yamamoto received his bachelor of arts
degree in economics from Keio
University in Tokyo.
Timothy "Chip" Stevens, managing director; global head of Macro
Investment Strategy, Portfolio Solutions and Trading, who has been
serving as acting chief investment officer of Aflac Japan for the
last year, will return to Aflac's New York Global Investments
office in May. He will assume his prior role while also taking on
greater responsibilities, including expanding international
investment and currency strategies and chairing the investment
strategy group.
Executive Vice President; Global Chief Investment Officer
Eric M. Kirsch commented, "We are
pleased to welcome an investment veteran with Yamamoto-san's
longstanding and multi-faceted investment skill set to our
organization. I believe the decades of global experience he's
established will further enrich Aflac Japan's investment management
activities and our capacity to drive value and protect
policyholders."
Aflac Japan Executive Vice President of Planning and Research,
Risk Management and Compliance Masatoshi Koide added, "We are
thrilled to have Yamamoto-san join Aflac as a key member of our
investment senior management team. The rich experience he brings,
combined with his international investment expertise, will enhance
the depth and perspective of our investment team. We look forward
to his contributions to Aflac's global investment function."
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 leading
provider of voluntary insurance at the worksite. Through its
trailblazing One Day PaySM initiative, Aflac U.S. can
receive, process, approve and disburse payment for eligible claims
in one business day. In Japan,
Aflac is a leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and
insures one in four households. Aflac individual and group
insurance products help provide protection to more than 50 million
people worldwide. For nine consecutive years, Aflac has been
recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most
Ethical Companies. In 2015, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as
one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 17th
consecutive year. Also, in 2015, Fortune magazine included Aflac on
its list of Most Admired Companies for the 14th time, ranking the
company number one in innovation for the insurance, life and health
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 and One Day PaySM, visit aflac.com or
espanol.aflac.com.
Forward-Looking Information
The Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe
harbor" to encourage companies to provide prospective
information, so long as those informational statements are
identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful
cautionary statements identifying important factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those included in
the forward-looking statements. We desire to take advantage of
these provisions. This document contains cautionary
statements identifying important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those projected herein, and in
any other statements made by company officials in
communications with the financial community and contained in
documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC).
Forward-looking statements are not based on historical
information and relate to future operations, strategies, financial
results or other developments. Furthermore, forward-looking
information is subject to numerous assumptions, risks and
uncertainties. In particular, statements containing words such
as "expect," "anticipate,"
"believe," "goal,"
"objective," "may,"
"should," "estimate,"
"intends," "projects,"
"will," "assumes,"
"potential," "target" or similar
words as well as specific projections of future
results, generally qualify as forward-looking. Aflac
undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking
statements. We caution readers that the following factors,
in addition to other factors mentioned from time to time, could
cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated
by the forward-looking statements: difficult conditions in global
capital markets and the economy; governmental actions for the
purpose of stabilizing the financial markets; defaults and credit
downgrades of securities in our investment portfolio; exposure to
significant financial and capital markets risk; fluctuations in
foreign currency exchange rates; significant changes in investment
yield rates; credit and other risks associated with Aflac's
investment in perpetual securities; differing judgments applied to
investment valuations; significant valuation judgments in
determination of amount of impairments taken on our investments;
limited availability of acceptable yen-denominated investments;
concentration of our investments in any particular single-issuer or
sector concentration of business in Japan; decline in creditworthiness of other
financial institutions; deviations in actual experience from
pricing and reserving assumptions; subsidiaries' ability to pay
dividends to Aflac Incorporated; changes in law or regulation by
governmental authorities; ability to attract and retain qualified
sales associates and employees; decreases in our financial strength
or debt ratings; ability to continue to develop and implement
improvements in information technology systems; interruption in
telecommunication, information technology and other operational
systems, or a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or
privacy of sensitive data residing on such systems; changes in U.S.
and/or Japanese accounting standards; failure to comply with
restrictions on patient privacy and information security; inability
to recognize tax benefits associated with capital loss
carryforwards; level and outcome of litigation; ability to
effectively manage key executive succession; catastrophic events
including, but not necessarily limited to, epidemics, pandemics,
tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, acts of terrorism and
damage incidental to such events; ongoing changes in our industry;
events that damage our reputation; and failure of internal controls
or corporate governance policies and procedures.
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Analyst and investor contact – Robin Y.
Wilkey, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667; FAX: 706.324.6330 or
rwilkey@aflac.com
Media contact – Catherine Blades,
706.596.3014; FAX: 706.320.2288 or cblades@aflac.com
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SOURCE Aflac Incorporated