COLUMBUS, Ga., Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aflac Incorporated announced today that veteran marketing expert M. Jeffrey Charney has joined the company's executive team as senior vice president; chief marketing officer (CMO) for Aflac U.S. The company also announced that Ronald S. Sanders has been named senior vice president; deputy director of sales, effective November 15, 2008, where he will support Ronald E. Kirkland, senior vice president; director of sales, who will retire at the end of 2009. Charney comes to Aflac from QVC, Inc., one of the largest multimedia retailers in the world, where he served as senior vice president and CMO. Prior to his career at QVC, he was a founder of Fringe Ventures, LLC, a creative marketing consulting company in Santa Monica, California, and served as senior vice president at Washington Mutual, Homestore and KB Home. Additionally, he has held senior level positions at Rockwell International and Raytheon Company. Charney earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of South Carolina and a master's degree from The Ohio State University. His professional honors and distinctions include being named one of Advertising Age magazine's "Marketing 100" Top Marketers of the Year. Sanders began his career with Aflac in 1983 as a sales associate in Texas. Since that time, he has risen through the Aflac sales management ranks, succeeding in his subsequent roles as district and regional sales coordinator in Texas and state sales coordinator for Arizona, New Mexico and Texas-El Paso. During his tenure with Aflac, he has also worked as a marketing coordinator and as director of Field Force Development. Prior to his promotion to senior vice president; deputy director of U.S. sales, Sanders served Aflac U.S. as vice president; Southwest Territory director. He holds a degree in Environmental Science from Lamar University in Texas. Kirkland joined Aflac in 1975 as a sales associate in Georgia. Since that time, he has held various positions within Aflac's sales force, including district sales coordinator, regional sales coordinator, state sales coordinator, and vice president; West Territory director. During his time as state sales coordinator for Missouri, new sales more than doubled over a three-year period, and Missouri was one of Aflac's fastest-growing state operations. He has served as senior vice president; director of Aflac U.S. Sales since 2005. Commenting on these management announcements, Aflac President and COO Paul S. Amos II stated: "Jeff Charney is a proven leader with cutting-edge experience in brand development, creative consumer and product marketing and strategic business development. As we continue to promote the understanding of Aflac products and services to employers and consumers, I am confident that Jeff will be a significant asset in fortifying our position as the market leader of supplemental insurance in the United States. "I am also confident that with Ron Kirkland's steady guidance, Ron Sanders will continue Aflac's tradition of effectively leading what I believe is the best sales force in the U.S. insurance industry. Over the next 12 months, he will be closely working with Ron Sanders to ensure a smooth transition of sales management before retiring in December 2009. Like so many who have had the opportunity to work with Ron Kirkland, I am grateful for his leadership and dedication to Aflac, especially over these last few years as our director of sales." Commenting on the upcoming transition, Senior Vice President; Director of Sales Ron Kirkland said, "I am looking forward to working with Ron Sanders over the next year to make this transition smooth, seamless and successful. It was my intention to serve as senior vice president; director of sales for five years before retiring, and it's amazing how quickly the time has passed. I know I am passing the torch on to an incredibly capable and determined teammate." For more than 50 years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting medical event causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States and the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force in Japan. Our insurance products provide protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been included in Fortune magazine's list of America's Most Admired Companies for seven years and in Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for ten consecutive years. Aflac has been recognized three times by both Fortune magazine's list of the Top 50 Employers for Minorities and Working Mother magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers and has also been included in Ethisphere magazine's list of the World's Most Ethical Companies for two consecutive years. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com . (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041202/CLTH019LOGO ) Analyst and investor contact -- Kenneth S. Janke Jr., 800.235.2667 -- option 3, FAX: 706.324.6330, Media contacts -- Laura Kane, 706.596.3493, FAX: 706.320.2288, ; Jon Sullivan, 706.573.7610, FAX: 706.320.2288, http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041202/CLTH019LOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Aflac Incorporated CONTACT: Analyst and investor: Kenneth S. Janke Jr., +1-800-235-2667, option 3, FAX: +1-706-324-6330, , Media: Laura Kane, +1-706-596-3493, FAX: +1-706-320-2288, , Jon Sullivan, +1-706-573-7610, FAX: +1-706-320-2288, , all of Aflac Incorporated Web site: http://www.aflac.com/

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