WORCESTER, Mass., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Allmerica Financial
Corporation (NYSE: AFC) today announced that John W. Chandler has been
appointed Vice President Corporate Marketing. In this capacity, Chandler will
lead all aspects of the company's branding and communications processes,
including positioning and communications for the Allmerica property and
casualty brands-Citizens Insurance Company of America, headquartered in
Howell, Michigan, and The Hanover Insurance Company, headquartered in
Worcester, Massachusetts.
"Over the past year, we have been very aggressive and successful in
attracting additional talent to our leadership team, including people from
outside our industry," said Marita Zuraitis, president of the Citizens and
Hanover property and casualty companies.
"John brings to our organization tremendous skill and experience in brand
management that will help us on our journey to be a world class regional
property and casualty company," said, Frederick H. Eppinger, president and
chief executive officer of Allmerica Financial Corporation, the parent company
to Citizens and Hanover.
With nearly 20 years experience in consumer products marketing, Chandler
has led marketing efforts for some of the world's best-known brands. Most
recently, he was senior vice president for marketing at Hasbro, Inc., where he
was responsible for the development and implementation of fully-integrated
marketing programs to promote the Milton Bradley/Parker Bros. brands.
Prior to his work at Hasbro, Chandler was vice president for marketing for
Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, where he drove innovation and applied packaged
goods marketing disciplines for the world's number one hotel brand.
Previous to that, Chandler served in key marketing and management
leadership roles in the United Kingdom division of Cadbury Beverages, Inc.,
including managing director of Schweppes Great Britain. While with Cadbury,
Chandler developed brand enhancement programs for a portfolio of products that
included the Coca-Cola, Cadbury Schweppes, Perrier, Cresta and Sunkist brands.
Chandler received a master's degree in business administration from the
Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College in 1986, and a bachelor of arts degree
from Trinity College in 1980.
Worcester, Massachusetts-based Allmerica Financial is group of insurance
companies headed by Allmerica Financial Corporation, a Fortune 500 company.
Allmerica's lead companies include Howell, Michigan-based Citizens Insurance
Company of America, founded in 1915, and Worcester-based The Hanover Insurance
Company, founded in 1852. Citizens and Hanover offer a range of property and
casualty insurance coverages to individuals, families and business through a
wide network of independent agents. The Citizens and Hanover Insurance
Companies are ranked among the top 30 property and casualty insurers in the
country.
CONTACT:
Investors: Media:
Sujata Mutalik Todd M. Peckham
(508) 855-3457 (508) 855-4460
smutalik@allmerica.comtpeckham@allmerica.com
SOURCE Allmerica Financial Corporation
-0- 09/07/2004
/CONTACT: Investors: Sujata Mutalik, +1-508-855-3457,
smutalik@allmerica.com, or Media: Todd M. Peckham, +1-508-855-4460,
tpeckham@allmerica.com, both of Allmerica Financial Corporation/
(AFC)
CO: Allmerica Financial Corporation
ST: Massachusetts
IN: FIN INS
CP-EO
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5969 09/07/200414:09 EDThttp://www.prnewswire.com