SIMSBURY, Conn. – The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG) has appointed David Levenson as president and chief executive officer of its Japan subsidiary, Hartford Life Insurance K.K., effective Oct. 1. He is replacing Gregory Boyko, who will remain chairman of the Japan enterprise while undertaking a new assignment for The Hartford in the United States.
Levenson, currently chief operating officer of Hartford Life in Japan, will lead the company’s efforts to grow sales of annuities and introduce new products to take advantage of the financial security needs of Japan’s aging population. The Hartford is the No. 1 provider of variable annuities in Japan with more than $32 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2007. Levenson will report to Lizabeth Zlatkus, co-COO of Hartford Life, Inc. and president of International Wealth Management and Group Benefits.
“Since joining Hartford Life in Japan in August 2006, Dave has contributed greatly to the operation’s success,” Zlatkus said. “His rich product development experience played a significant role in the launch of our Adagio 3 WinTMproduct, which helped boost variable annuity sales by 45 percent in the first half of this year over the last half of 2006.”
Levenson joined The Hartford in 1995 and was responsible for starting the company’s highly successful retail mutual fund business. In 1999, he assumed responsibility for The Hartford’s 401(k) business, which has since become one of the leading providers of retirement plans for small employers. In 2002, Levenson was promoted to run the retail product management group, which included annuities, mutual funds, 401(k) and 529 programs. In 2005, Levenson joined Hartford Investment Management Company as a managing director and led sales and marketing for the company’s asset manager.
Prior to joining Hartford Life, Levenson was a vice president at Fidelity Investments. He received a B.S.E from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School. Levenson is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA), a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Chartered Mutual Funds Counselor (CMFC).
The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services companies, with 2006 revenues of $26.5 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.
