Unum 2007 Annual Report Download - page 8

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Going forward, our focus will be on continuing to invest
in our business to further leverage our leadership positions
into sustainable, profitable growth, particularly through
an emphasis on voluntary benefits as well as product and
service innovation. We are already making significant
progress in both of these areas.
In Unum US, we celebrated the pilot launch last year
of Simply Unum, an integrated platform of products
and online services that we believe will transform the
marketplace. In Unum UK, where employers and
employees face similar challenges to those in the U.S.,
we are expanding our product portfolio to include
voluntary benefits. And in Colonial Life, we believe the
investment we are making in a new brand, coupled with
the recent introduction of new life and health products
and new enrollment capabilities, will lead to accelerated
long-term growth.
But by far the most important thing we can do to
capitalize on the opportunities that lie ahead is to
consistently do the right thing to serve our customers. I
am pleased that brokers and customers continue to
praise our service quality and portfolio of products. Our
claimants also give us high marks for our claims service
and support. As with everything in our business, however,
we know there are opportunities to do things better,
and we will always strive for continuous improvement.
FOCUS ON PEOPLE
We are proud of what we do as a company and the role
our products and services play in supporting broader
social needs. In fact, we paid over $6 billion last year
alone to individuals and families at a time when they
were impacted by illness, injury or even death. We help
people – and every one of our 10,000 employees make
that happen every day.
We are also proud of our people and recognize the
role a positive work environment plays in attracting and
retaining the best talent. Last year, we increased our
emphasis on professional and leadership development
for our employees, launching a number of initiatives that
will allow them to further develop their skills. On that note,
we are pleased with what our employees think about
the company – they tell us they are not only proud to work
for Unum, but also they clearly understand and are fully
aligned with our vision and business strategy.
We recognize it is important to take an active role in our
communities through both financial support and volunteer-
ism. In 2007, Unum donated more than $6 million to
well-deserving charitable organizations throughout
the U.S. and the U.K. Although we support a broad array
of organizations, we are particularly focused on public
education initiatives because we know that creating
well-rounded, civic-minded students today helps build
the strong leaders of tomorrow.
LOOKING AHEAD
In spite of the uncertain environment, there are many
reasons to be optimistic about the future, and chief among
them is the very strong position Unum is in today.
Going forward, our actions will follow four broad themes:
• Wewillstrivetoconsistentlyexecuteour
operating plans
• Wewillremainfocusedondisciplined,
profitable growth
• Wewillworkdiligentlytobetterleverageour
leadership positions
• Wewillremaincommittedtodevelopingourpeople
By focusing on these themes, we believe we can
continue to instill even greater confidence in the company
among our constituents. Over the past few years, we
have worked hard to produce consistent results, create a
culture of openness and transparency, and demonstrate
a willingness to listen and share. All of these have served
us well, and we believe can be a model to follow –
especially in this environment.
In closing, I am thankful for the opportunity to lead
Unum, particularly at this exciting time in our evolution.
Our performance last year is a testament to the hard work
and determination of our employees, as well as to the
many stakeholders who share in our success. I am confident
that, by continuing to execute on our business plan,
we will add to this success and, in the process, further
solidify our leadership position in employee benefits and
continue to create value for our stockholders.
On behalf of our board of directors and all of us at Unum,
thank you for your continued support of our company.
Sincerely,
By far the most important thing we can
do to capitalize on the opportunities that
lie ahead is to consistently do the right
thing to serve our customers.