COLUMBUS, Ga., Nov. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, a
leading provider of supplemental insurance in the U.S., announced
that Chief Digital Information Officer Rich
Gilbert was recognized as a 2021 CIO of the Year® honoree by
GeorgiaCIO. Gilbert was presented with an ORBIE Award in the Global
category for helping reinvent Aflac as a digital-first company, an
initiative that was accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aflac Chief Digital Information Officer Rich Gilbert Named a 2021
CIO of the Year® ORBIE Award Winner
Since joining Aflac in 2019, Gilbert oversaw Aflac's digital
transformation via the One Digital Aflac (ODA) initiative. ODA
centers on using technology to make it easier for customers to buy
from Aflac, for its distribution team to sell, and for employees to
successfully fulfill Aflac's promise to policyholders: be there
when it matters most. During the pandemic, Gilbert evolved the ODA
strategy from traditional IT to a digital service organization,
leading Aflac to compete in a digital-first world, where customers
are more willing to adopt and use digital channels. Capabilities
such as a guest checkout option for online claims, a claims status
tracker, and both live and virtual assistant chat capabilities
bring a familiar digital experience to insurance, while
transforming the way Aflac engages with insureds.
"As digital innovation continues to influence consumer
expectations, this recognition is a testament to Rich's leadership
and his team, which was tasked with reinventing Aflac's customer
service approach by driving excellence in innovation, technology
leadership and creating business value while making a difference in
the community," said Aflac U.S. President Teresa White. "It further demonstrates the
team's effort to improve Aflac's experiences and efficiencies now
and into the future – raising the bar across industries. As a
result, it is easier than ever for our valued policyholders to take
advantage of a new digital experience."
The CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Awards is the
premier technology executive recognition program in the U.S. Since
its inception in 1998, more than 1,800 chief information officers
(CIOs) have been honored as finalists, and more than 400 CIO of the
Year winners have received the prestigious ORBIE Award. The ORBIE
Awards honor CIOs who have demonstrated excellence in technology
leadership. Finalists and winners are selected by an independent
peer review process, led by prior ORBIE recipients, based on:
leadership and management effectiveness; business value created by
technology innovation; and engagement in industry and community
endeavors.
"The GeorgiaCIO ORBIE winners demonstrate the significance of
strong technology leadership in these uncertain times. Over the
past year, CIOs are leading in unprecedented ways and enabling the
largest work-from-home experiment in history," according to
Karen Wilson, executive director of
GeorgiaCIO. "Rich Gilbert's Global
ORBIE is meaningful because he was judged by peers – CIOs who
understand how difficult this job is and why great leadership
matters."
ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:
AFL) is a Fortune 500 company helping provide protection to more
than 50 million people through its subsidiaries in Japan and the U.S., where it is a leading
supplemental insurer, by paying cash fast when policyholders get
sick or injured. For more than six decades, insurance policies of
Aflac Incorporated's subsidiaries have given policyholders the
opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. Aflac Life
Insurance Japan is the leading provider of medical and cancer
insurance in Japan, where it
insures 1 in 4 households. In 2021, Aflac Incorporated became a
signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment and was
proud to be included as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies
by Ethisphere for the 15th consecutive
year, Fortune's list of World's Most Admired Companies for the
20th time, Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the second
consecutive year and in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America
Index. Learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to
ESG and social responsibility at investors.aflac.com under
"Sustainability." To find out how to get help with expenses
health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at Aflac.com or
Aflac.com/Espanol.
About GeorgiaCIO
GeorgiaCIO is the preeminent
executive peer leadership network of Georgia chief information officers. GeorgiaCIO
is one of 21 chapters of the InspireCIO Leadership Network, a
national membership organization comprised exclusively of CIOs from
public and private companies, government, education, healthcare and
nonprofit organizations.
GeorgiaCIO is led by a CIO Advisory Board, supported by an
executive director and staff. Underwriter executives ensure
programs remain non-commercial and exclusive to qualified CIOs and
members.
Media contact – Darcy Brito,
706-505-9762 or dbrito@aflac.com
Analyst and investor contact – David A.
Young, 706-596-3264 or dyoung@aflac.com
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SOURCE Aflac Incorporated