Unum 2014 Annual Report Download - page 7

UNUM • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT 5
Richard P. McKenney
President
Leadership
Transition:
The
Opportunity
Ahead
When I joined Unum six years ago, I knew
I was joining a special company. Primarily,
I was attracted to a company that provides
fundamental protection to workers both in the
U.S. and the U.K. by the best in the industry.
Under Tom Watjen’s leadership, Unum was
gaining a well-earned reputation for consis-
tent performance, a disciplined approach to
growth, and a laser focus on understanding and
capitalizing on the opportunities presented
by a changing-workplace landscape.
Today, that momentum continues. Despite a
difficult environment with low interest rates
and a sluggish economy, we have generated
consistent profitability and earnings-per-share
growth combined with a track record of
creating shareholder value. Most recently
we have also seen good organic top-line
growth, which provides encouragement that
our customers are also appreciative of our
consistency. All of this has placed Unum at the
forefront of our industry, and I’m confident
our disciplined execution and 10,000 of the
best people in the business will help keep us
there.
As incoming CEO, I couldn’t be more excited
about what lies in front of us. The need for
our products and services has never been
greater, and we approach this opportunity
from a position of competitive and financial
strength. As we look to the future, we’ll not
only stay true to the principles that have
gotten us where we are today, we will
continue to follow our successful strategy.
I’m fortunate to be joined by a strong
leadership team that has a deep understanding
of our business and has a track record of
successfully executing on our plans and
delivering value to our stakeholders. This team
will tell you, as will I, that the real drivers of
this success are our employees throughout
the U.S., U.K. and Ireland who approach each
work day with a passion for helping others.
Few companies have as rich a culture and
history as Unum. We’re a pioneer in offering
financial protection benefits through the
workplace — and we feel we have an important
leadership role to continue that tradition of
innovation. Since 1848, we’ve given millions
of families the peace of mind that comes
from knowing our company will be there
when they need us most — a responsibility
we take very seriously. We combine this
passion to serve our customers with a belief
that we also need to work hard to be a good
corporate citizen, one that invests in our
communities in the spirit that our efforts
make a difference in the places we call home.
As Tom approaches retirement, I’d like to
thank him on behalf of all of our employees
for his tremendous leadership and foresight,
but most especially for the winning spirit he
has brought to this company in his 12 years
as CEO. I’m delighted that we will continue
to benefit from his insight as chairman of the
board over the next two years.
In closing, I’m honored to serve this great
company as CEO and appreciate the trust
placed in me by our board, shareholders,
and employees. Unum is stronger today than
ever before, and each of us understands the
responsibility we have to build on this founda-
tion. Our world will continue to change at an
ever more rapid pace, and by continuing to
anticipate the needs of our customers and
remaining disciplined, we’ll be well-positioned
to deliver even greater value for our stake-
holders in the years ahead.
I look forward to updating you as our team
navigates our journey.
Richard P. McKenney
President