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than 12-hour time difference.
(One measure of the time commit-
ment members of the team make
was evident during a recent inter-
view with Eric in his offices. As
the evening interview concluded,
dinner was being ordered in for a
7:30 p.m. conference call.) It is not
unusual for the Global Investment
staff to be at the ofce around 7 a.m
and still be there 12 hours later. And
participating in conference calls
from home is also not uncommon.
In addition to long hours, an incred-
ible volume of dollars are placed
in their care — Afac’s investment
portfolio of more than $100 billion
a year, which grows by more than
$12 billion every year. This requires
wisely investing about $50 mil-
lion each business day and keeping
shareholders, regulators and poli-
cyholders happy.
Eric points to one big advantage the
team has — the support they are re-
ceiving fromAfac leadership.
“We remain proud of our long-
term investment track record
and the strength of our balance
sheet,” said
Dan Amos
, Aflac’s
chairman and CEO. “But the
world has changed dramatically
since the emergence of the fi-
nancial crisis. There is no doubt
that investing is a much more
complex activity than it was just
a few years ago. As such, it’s crit-
ically important that we contin-
ue to invest in our global invest-
ment department and enhance
our capabilities.”
“Aflac executive management has
been very supportive,” Eric says.
“We’ve been allowed to do the
necessary studies, planning and
adopting best practices. We’ve
been allowed to spread our wings
to bring in the right individuals
with the right strengths and ex-
perience. It all has taken a lot of
thought and major decisions.”
But the challenge has been well
worth it, he says. “Through the
years, I’ve had a chance to work
on a number of mergers and ac-
quisitions that resulted in mak-
ing major changes in investment
operations. But, with Aflac, this
has meant starting from scratch
to create a top-notch team. It
is very satisfying seeing what
we’ve been able to accomplish.”
He acknowledges that, in some
respects, hiring great talent for
the investment team is easier be-
cause senior management made
a commitment to making New
York City as the home base for
Aflac Global Investments.
“World class investment tal-
ent is abundant in the New
York City area, the home of the
largest financial center in the
world,” he notes. “The ability
to attract this talent pool to a
great company like Aflac pres-
ents a great opportunity.”
That is, when the streets and
buildings on lower Wall Street
aren’t inundated with history-
making storm surge.
John Shalhoub
Paul ina Ynigo