NEW YORK, May 21, 2007—Assurant, Inc. ("Assurant") (NYSE: AIZ), a premier provider of specialty insurance and insurance-related products and services, announced today that Peter Walker, 34, has been named senior vice president, risk and advisory services, effective immediately. Mr. Walker will report directly to Assurant's audit committee, chaired by Howard Carver.
In this newly integrated position, Mr. Walker will oversee Assurant's risk monitoring and measuring activities, including the company's Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance and audit functions to ensure uniformity and maximize operational efficiency.
"Peter's promotion further illustrates Assurant's focus on leadership development. He has excelled in each of the roles he has held in his eight years with Assurant and we're very pleased that he will bring his expertise and knowledge of our organization's financial reporting processes to this position," said Jerome Atkinson, Assurant's executive vice president and chief compliance officer. "Aligning the capabilities of our audit and SOX teams under Peter's leadership creates a progressive, cross-company risk management and advisory group. In addition, having Peter report directly to the Assurant board of directors demonstrates our commitment to maintaining a high standard for independence within the audit function."
Mr. Walker most recently served as vice president, SEC reporting and compliance for Assurant. He was named assistant vice president, SEC reporting and compliance in 2004, after serving as Assurant's director of financial projects. Mr. Walker joined Assurant in 1999 as assistant vice president and assistant controller for the former Assurant Preneed business.
Prior to joining Assurant, Mr. Walker worked at Ernst & Young LLP in Atlanta, GA. A resident of New York City, Mr. Walker earned a BS in accounting from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1995 and an Executive MBA from New York University in 2006. Mr. Walker is a certified public accountant.
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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