AFL AFLAC Inc

COLUMBUS, Ga., July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the insurance company that helps employers provide their workers with a financial safety net at no direct cost to their businesses, has been named one of Black Enterprise magazine's 40 Best Companies for Diversity for the seventh time. Companies are honored annually for demonstrating a commitment to diversity in one or more of four key areas: board of directors, employee base, senior management and supplier diversity.

"We are extremely pleased that Black Enterprise has included Aflac on its list of 40 Best Companies for Diversity for the seventh time," Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos said. "We take great pride in our diversity not only because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes tremendous business sense to have a workforce that reflects the diversity of our customers and stakeholders."

Aflac's diverse employee base and supplier diversity were singled out in the survey as key strengths in the company's overall diversity rating. Nearly 40 percent of Aflac's U.S. workforce is composed of minorities, with 30 percent African American. More than 67 percent of workers at Aflac are women.

To select the 2011 companies, Black Enterprise surveyed the nation's top 1,000 publicly traded companies as well as the 100 leading global companies with strong U.S. operations. The complete list is available online and is featured in the July edition of Black Enterprise.

"While many companies still struggle with actually making diversity work, Aflac has time and again demonstrated its use of inclusion as a business imperative," said Black Enterprise Careers/Lifestyle Editorial Director Sonia Alleyne.  "The corporation has been awarded our top distinction for the past seven years and continues to achieve high marks for its diverse employee base and supplier diversity. Those who do it right, do it consistently."  

ABOUT AFLAC

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For more than 55 years, Aflac insurance policies have helped provide a safety net and given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance. In Japan, Aflac is the number one life insurance company in terms of individual policies in force. Aflac insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For five consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies and by Forbes magazine as one of America's Best-Managed Companies in the Insurance category. In 2011, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 13th consecutive year. Also, Fortune magazine included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 10th time in 2011. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com or aflacenespanol.com.

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SOURCE Aflac