Media Contacts
Catherine Theroux
Director, Public Relations
Work Phone: (860) 285-7787
Mobile Phone: (703) 447-3257
Brooke Lacey
Senior Public Relations Specialist
Work Phone: (860) 298-3920
Mobile Phone: (413) 530-6184
5/23/2012
WINDSOR, Conn., May. 23, 2012 — Today, LIMRA staff dedicated a tree to LIMRA President and CEO Robert Kerzner for his extraordinary leadership and generosity following the October 2011 snowstorm, one of the most damaging in Connecticut’s history.
“Many of our employees were without power for as many as nine days,” said Amy Plympton, assistant vice president and director of LIMRA’s InfoCenter. “Bob recognized that families might be without heat, hot water and adequate shelter, and opened our building — powered by a newly installed generator — to staff and their families to ensure their safety and well being.”
Under Kerzner’s leadership, LIMRA’s management team worked together to create a place where LIMRA’s families could take shelter. The team created sleeping quarters, rigged up janitorial closets as showers, provided play space for children, cell phone charging stations, and quiet work space for family members. LIMRA even opened up a conference rooms for a neighboring business so that they could continue to operate — complete with a customer call center.
With 92 percent of Connecticut without power, gasoline was extremely difficult to obtain. Our chief information officer volunteered to help employees get the gas they needed to power their generators as he lived in the only part of Connecticut spared from the outage. Each night, employees could drop off their gas cans; he would fill and return it the following morning.
“I had only worked for LIMRA for about three months at the time of the storm,” said Christian Ambrosio, one of the employees who brought his family to LIMRA following the storm. “The support and generosity provided to me and my family was astonishing. Our power was out for most of the week, and without LIMRA’s efforts, it would have been hard on my young boys. I can’t imagine another company doing this much for their staff.”
Kerzner, wanting to alleviate any concerns among his staff during this difficult time, made sure they knew that any time away from the office would be excused with pay. He even offered his personal office to one young woman with an infant so that she could ensure the child was safe, warm and well rested.
To express their gratitude, LIMRA staff decided to dedicate a tree in front of LIMRA’s headquarters to Bob Kerzner to honor the values he embodies each day.
Catherine Theroux, 860-285-7787, ctheroux@limra.com.
LIMRA, a worldwide research, consulting and professional development organization, is the trusted source of industry knowledge, helping more than 850 insurance and financial services companies in 73 countries increase their marketing and distribution effectiveness. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com.
Director, Public Relations
Work Phone: (860) 285-7787
Mobile Phone: (703) 447-3257
Senior Public Relations Specialist
Work Phone: (860) 298-3920
Mobile Phone: (413) 530-6184