José Marques, APR
Media Relations Manager
513.629.1448
Mailing Address:
Western & Southern Financial Group
Media Relations
Mail Station 90
400 Broadway Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Emily J. Carpenter-Pulskamp
Senior Media Relations Specialist (513) 629-1388
Columbus Life Names Assistant Vice President and Director of Advanced Markets Group
CINCINNATI, Oh — October 22, 2009 — Columbus Life Insurance Company (Columbus Life), a member of Western & Southern Financial Group (Western & Southern), has announced that Hugh F. Smart has been named assistant vice president and director of advanced markets group. In this position, he will provide strategic leadership, direction and management to the advanced markets department, serving both Columbus Life and Western " Southern. Smart is a former long-time resident of Oak Park, Ill.
"Hugh has impressive credentials and brings key strategic insights that will help us build our presence in the advanced markets sector," said J.J. Miller, president and chief executive officer for Columbus Life. "Our goal is to provide advanced markets training and support to Columbus Life’s independent producers to help them offer solutions to their clients with estate planning, retirement and business concerns. I am confident that Hugh will be a tremendous asset for Columbus Life."
Smart has more than 24 years experience in working with private clients and their advisors in both a life insurance and law firm setting. He spent 11 years in private law practice, ending as a partner in the estate planning department of the Chicago office of McDermott, Will & Emery. In 1996, he joined Allstate Life Insurance Company as part of its advanced markets group, working primarily with its independent agents through Allstate’s Lincoln Benefit Life subsidiary, assisting them in all aspects of advanced markets. Smart left Allstate in November 2006 and joined AXA Equitable Life Insurance where he worked with independent and bank producers supporting the sales of variable annuities.
A frequent presenter at national and regional industry association meetings, Smart holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England, and a juris doctorate from Chicago Kent College of Law at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Additionally, he has earned CLU and ChFC designations and FINRA Series 6 and 63, Illinois Life Insurance.
More information about Columbus Life and its new product offerings is available by calling 1-800-677-9696, Option 4, or visiting www.columbuslife.com.
About Columbus Life Insurance Company
Columbus Life is a top-rated company providing life insurance and annuity products for clients in 49 states and the District of Columbia. With a heritage dating back to 1906, the company provides retirement, estate planning, and advanced business planning services to the affluent market through a nationwide network of independent producers and registered representatives. The company holds outstanding ratings from leading financial ratings agencies, including A.M. Best A+ for superior financial strength (second highest of 16 ratings), Standard & Poor’s AA+ for very strong financial security characteristics (second highest of 21 ratings), and a Comdex ranking of 96. Columbus Life is a member of Western & Southern Financial Group.
About Western & Southern Financial Group
Western & Southern Financial Group (Western & Southern) is a Cincinnati-based diversified family of financial services companies with assets owned, managed and under our care in excess of $42 billion as of Dec. 31, 2008. A Fortune 500 company, Western & Southern has received Standard & Poor’s AA+ Very Strong rating (one of the nine strongest life insurance groups in the world), A.M. Best’s A+ Superior rating, Fitch’s AA Very Strong rating and Moody’s Aa3 Excellent rating, all with a Stable outlook. With a heritage dating to 1888, the group’s affiliates include The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company; Western-Southern Life Assurance Company; Capital Analysts Incorporated;1, 2 Columbus Life Insurance Company; Eagle Realty Group, LLC; Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.;1 Fort Washington Savings Company;3 IFS Financial Services, Inc.; Integrity Life Insurance Company; The Lafayette Life Insurance Company; National Integrity Life Insurance Company; Touchstone Advisors, Inc.;1 Touchstone Securities, Inc,2 and W&S Financial Group Distributors, Inc. For more information, visit www.westernsouthern.com. Western & Southern is the title sponsor of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women’s Open tennis tournaments.
1 A registered investment advisor.
2 A registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC.
3 Member FDIC.
Ratings refer to the financial strength of the insurance company and not to the safety, stability or performance of any investment product.
one of the eight highest-rated life insurance groups
in the world based on Standard & Poor's AA+ Very Strong rating.
Rating current as of November 30, 2010.