SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Horace Mann
Educators Corporation (NYSE: HMN) announced today that its Board of
Directors appointed Marita Zuraitis
to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer and
elected her a member of Horace
Mann's Board of Directors. Following a successful
four-month transition period, and consistent with his previously
disclosed Transition Agreement, former President and CEO
Peter Heckman has resigned from the
Board. Heckman will remain available to the company on a
consultative basis for the remainder of the year.
"The Board is deeply grateful to Pete
Heckman for his 13 years of service with the company,
especially the last three years as President and CEO, including
this smooth transition to his successor," said Gabriel Shaheen, Chairman of the Board. "Through
his outstanding leadership, Pete and his team have built a solid
financial foundation and have moved the company forward
significantly. We now look to Marita's vision and leadership
to continue the mission of taking Horace
Mann to the next level."
Zuraitis joined Horace Mann on
May 13, 2013 as President and Chief
Executive Officer-Elect. She came to Horace Mann from The Hanover Insurance Group
where she was President of Hanover's property and casualty companies and
a member of The Hanover's
Executive Leadership Team.
"My four-month transition working with Pete has been invaluable
and validated my initial assessment of Horace Mann as a financially strong company with
dedicated agents and employees focused on serving the educator
marketplace," said Zuraitis. "I look forward to building on
that foundation and profitably growing the business."
Horace Mann -- the largest
national multiline insurance company focusing on educators'
financial needs -- provides auto and homeowners insurance,
retirement annuities, life insurance and other financial
solutions. Founded by Educators for
Educators® in 1945, the company is headquartered in
Springfield, Ill. For more
information, visit www.horacemann.com.
SOURCE Horace Mann Educators Corporation