Human Resources: Veteran division leader passes Securian torch to new head of group life unit

St. Paul, MN, January 4, 2010 – Only one person had worked at Securian
Financial Group longer than Jim Johnson when he announced his retirement
last month as executive vice president and leader of the company’s highly
successful group life insurance unit. A 45-year veteran of the local
insurer, Johnson will remain until May 31, 2010 to help ensure a smooth
transition to new leadership.

Succeeding Johnson as division head is Von Peterson, who also was promoted
from vice president to senior vice president. Peterson joined the company
in 1996 as a sales manager and moved to the group division in 1998. Most
recently, he has been responsible for client relationships, including 12
service offices around the country and a highly successful sales team with
eight nationwide locations. Peterson has a bachelor’s degree from Concordia
College-Moorhead, Moorhead, MN and an MBA from the University of St.
Thomas. St. Paul, MN. He resides in the Twin Cities.

Under Johnson and Peterson’s leadership, the group life unit, which
operates as Minnesota Life, has grown rapidly. In 1991, Minnesota Life was
the sixteenth largest group life insurer in the US with $66 billion of life
insurance in force; in 2008 it was the fourth largest, with $620 billion in
force. Since 1999, Minnesota Life group insurance revenue has grown at a
compound annual rate exceeding 15% and currently stands at $1.25 billion.
Key to these successes is the unit’s unique service culture as demonstrated
with the highest customer retention in the group life market. Additionally,
a recent survey shows 98% of Minnesota Life clients said they would
recommend Minnesota Life to other employers.

Since 1880, Securian Financial Group and its affiliates have provided
financial security for individuals and businesses in the form of insurance,
investments and retirement plans. Now one of the nation’s largest financial
services providers, it is the holding company parent of a group of
companies that include Minnesota Life Insurance Company. [END]

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