The Hartford Announces New Leadership Appointments To Advance Business Strategy

  • Doug Elliot’s role expanded to all of P&C and Group Benefits
  • Bill Bloom rejoins the company as head of Operations and Technology
  • Brion Johnson to also lead Talcott Resolution, company’s annuity runoff operations
  • Ray Sprague to lead Strategy and Business Development
  • Stephanie Bush named head of Small Commercial

Doug Elliot (Photo: Business Wire)

HARTFORD, Conn.--()--The Hartford today announced a realignment of senior leadership positions to further advance the company’s business strategy and deliver value for shareholders.

“Today’s appointments will provide increased alignment, focus and accountability to enable us to deliver greater value to our customers and partners, and our shareholders,” said The Hartford’s CEO Christopher J. Swift. “These executives are all proven leaders with excellent track records of delivering results, and I am thrilled they are taking on these roles. The new structure will provide the necessary leadership for us to continue advancing our strategy to profitably grow the Property & Casualty, Group Benefits and Mutual Funds businesses, reduce the size and risk of Talcott Resolution and become a more efficient and effective organization.”

Doug Elliot, who assumed the role of president of The Hartford July 1, will expand his responsibilities to include oversight for Consumer Markets. He will now be accountable for all of the company’s Property & Casualty (P&C) lines of business, in addition to Group Benefits and Claims.

Bill Bloom will rejoin The Hartford as executive vice president of Operations and Technology, reporting to Swift. In this new role, Bloom will assume day-to-day responsibility of the information technology and operations organizations, as well as the company’s technology strategy. Bloom joins The Hartford from EXL, where he was president, Global Client Services. Previously, he held leadership roles at Accenture and served as executive vice president, Insurance Operations and Information Technology at Travelers. Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions with The Hartford’s Group Benefits business.

Brion Johnson, chief investment officer and president of Hartford Investment Management Company, will also oversee Talcott Resolution, the company’s runoff annuity operations. Succeeding Beth Bombara who was appointed chief financial officer of The Hartford on July 1, Johnson and the Talcott Resolution team will continue to focus on reducing the size and risk of the company’s legacy annuity liabilities, while continuing to fulfill commitments to contract holders.

Ray Sprague has been named executive vice president of Strategy and Business Development, reporting to Swift. Previously, he led The Hartford’s industry-leading Small Commercial business. In his new role, Sprague will be responsible for The Hartford’s enterprise strategy to drive profitable growth, working closely with the businesses to identify new product and distribution opportunities, and other growth initiatives. In addition, Sprague will serve as acting leader for Consumer Markets. Andy Napoli, president of Consumer Markets and head of Enterprise Business Services, has decided to leave The Hartford to pursue a new opportunity.

Stephanie Bush will assume leadership of Small Commercial, reporting to Elliot. Bush, who rejoined The Hartford in 2013 from Travelers, is currently chief product and underwriting officer for Small Commercial. Previously she spent 20 years at The Hartford in positions of increasing responsibility in commercial insurance and field operations.

About The Hartford

With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford (NYSE: HIG) is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. The company is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com. Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheHartford. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheHartford.

HIG-F

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 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, 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.

From time to time, The Hartford may use its website to disseminate material company information. Financial and other important information regarding The Hartford is routinely accessible through and posted on our website at http://ir.thehartford.com. In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about The Hartford when you enroll your email address by visiting the “Email Alerts” section at http://ir.thehartford.com.

Contacts

The Hartford
Media Contact:
Shannon Lapierre, 860-547-5624
shannon.lapierre@thehartford.com
or
Thomas Hambrick, 860-547-9746
thomas.hambrick@thehartford.com
or
Investor Contacts:
Sabra Purtill, 860-547-8691
sabra.purtill@thehartford.com
or
Sean Rourke, 860-547-5688
sean.rourke@thehartford.com

Release Summary

The Hartford announced a realignment of senior leadership positions to further advance the company’s business strategy and deliver value for shareholders.

Contacts

The Hartford
Media Contact:
Shannon Lapierre, 860-547-5624
shannon.lapierre@thehartford.com
or
Thomas Hambrick, 860-547-9746
thomas.hambrick@thehartford.com
or
Investor Contacts:
Sabra Purtill, 860-547-8691
sabra.purtill@thehartford.com
or
Sean Rourke, 860-547-5688
sean.rourke@thehartford.com