Securian Is #6 on the 2009 List of ’100 Best Places to Work in IT’

ST. PAUL, Minn., June 16 /PRNewswire/ — Securian Financial Group is making its fourteenth appearance on IDG COMPUTERWORLD’s list of 100 Best Places to Work in IT at number six on the list — its highest ranking yet.

The 100 US companies on the list were scored on benefits, training, retention, diversity, and career development of IT staff. Additionally, a random poll of each company’s IT employees counted for approximately half of the company’s overall score.

Securian is one of only three Minnesota companies to be named to the 2009 list and it ranked third in the ten-state North Central Region. Only four of Securian’s 19 peers – financial services companies whose core business is life insurance – are on the list and Securian ranks highest among them.

Securian received high rankings in a number of categories:

• Average number of training days per year per IT employee – 12
• Annual turnover rate – 5%
• Percentage of female managers – 51%

“The challenges our IT professionals face and the speed with which they must resolve them accelerate every year,” said Jean Delaney Nelson, senior vice president and chief information officer, Securian Financial Group. “We navigate these rough waters with plenty of training and a sharp focus on business goals.”

Securian typically is one of the smaller companies on the COMPUTERWORLD list and that held true again this year — employment levels at the other top ten companies ranged from 4,500 to 72,000.

“I attribute the success of Securian’s IT efforts to our staff,” said Delaney Nelson. “Every year, the complexity and pace of our work grows substantially. But our people approach these challenges with energy, good business sense, and a strong background in the systems that are important to our company. I congratulate them on earning this prestigious award yet again.”

Securian Financial Group helps provide financial security for individuals and businesses in the form of insurance, retirement products and services, and investments. Affiliates include Minnesota Life Insurance Co. Advantus Capital Management, and Allied Solutions, LLC. Securian has nearly $780 billion of life insurance in force, $25 billion in assets under management as of May 31, 2009 and a nationwide work force of 3,500 employees. Securian serves more than 9,000,000 individuals in the U.S.

SOURCE Securian Financial Group, Inc.