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 HARTFORD, Conn., March 21, 2007 - Aetna announced that it has been named to ESSENCE magazine's 2007 list of "25 Great Places to Work for Black Women."
Aetna was the only health insurance company to make the list. "What makes Aetna great are the strong internal employee networks that
provide opportunities for black women to meet others," said Angela
Burt-Murray, editor-in-chief of ESSENCE magazine. "Aetna also offers
programs that give mid-level employees of color leadership development
training for future top spots."
"Aetna is honored to be recognized by ESSENCE magazine for the work we have
done to build opportunities for a diverse workforce," noted Elease E.
Wright, Aetna's senior vice president for human resources. "It recognizes
our long history and continuing efforts to become the industry leader in
meeting the needs of the diverse marketplace by building a workforce that
fully understands the communities where we do business."
"We believe in fostering a culture of inclusion that attracts a diverse
talent pool and recognizes and rewards the contributions of every employee
while allowing employees to do their best work," added Wright.
Of Aetna's more than 30,000 employees, 75 percent are women, 28 percent are
people of color and 57 percent of Aetna's management positions are held by
women.
Thirty-one percent of Aetna's senior leaders are women, including Wright,
who was named last year to The Network Journal's list of "25 Influential
Black Women in Business." Ronald A. Williams, chairman, CEO, and president
of Aetna, was named 2006 "Corporate Executive of the Year" by Black
Enterprise magazine.
The ESSENCE recognition follows several other Aetna awards for the
company's outstanding human resources practices, including: "Top 10
Companies for Executive Women" (2007) by the National Association for
Female Executives (NAFE); "Best Employer for Healthy Lifestyles - Platinum"
(2006) by the National Business Group on Health; "Top 50 Employers for
Minorities" and "Top 50 Employers for Women" (2005) both by Fortune
magazine; and "Top 50 Places to Win for Black Business Professionals"
(2004) by Savoy Professional magazine.
ESSENCE's selection process involved asking more than 60 business insiders
- headhunters, human resource representatives, research firm and nonprofit
organizations - to nominate companies with solid reputations for hiring,
retaining, supporting and promoting black women. ESSENCE also contacted the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to verify that the finalist
companies practiced what they preached.
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits
companies, serving approximately 35.9 million people with information and
resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health
care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed
health insurance products and related services, including medical,
pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care and
disability plans, and medical management capabilities. Our customers
include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and
hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. www.aetna.com
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