DMA Financial Services Council to Honor Hartford Financial's George Thacker and National Australia Bank on Feb. 28

February 24, 2006 — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has announced it will honor George P. Thacker, vice president for The Hartford Financial Services Group’s personal lines division, with the DMA Financial Services Council’s Marketer of the Year Award and National Australia Bank (NAB) with the DMA Financial Services Company of the Year Award.

The awards will be presented on Tuesday, February 28 during the DMA Financial Services Conference, which will take place February 26 – 28 in Palm Harbor, FL.

2006 DMA Financial Services Council Direct Marketer of the Year Award

For the past seven years, George P. Thacker, vice president for The Hartford’s personal lines division, has overseen the marketing function for the company’s auto and homeowner’s insurance products, which are sold directly to members of AARP, as well as to customers through the company’s network of independent agents. During his tenure, Thacker has helped The Hartford position itself as an innovative leader in the financial services industry, growing the company’s top-line through a number of creative direct marketing initiatives. Some of his efforts have included the pioneering use of multi-media strategies, such as direct response television and the Internet.

“I am extremely honored to receive this award from the DMA,” said Thacker, who has stressed the importance of innovation, research, and experimentation in the increasingly competitive personal lines business. “Direct marketing doesn’t just mean ‘mail.’ It means excellence in mail while leveraging all types of media, such as direct television and the Internet, both of which The Hartford has been pioneering for the past few years.”

Under Thacker’s marketing direction, The Hartford’s AARP program, which has provided value to AARP and its members since 1984, benefited from five consecutive years of strong growth. The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest financial services and insurance companies, with 2005 revenues of $27.1 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.

DMA Financial Services Council’s Marketer of the Year Award

The history of National Australia Bank Limited (NAB) traces back to 1858, with the establishment of the National Bank of Australasia. Since then, it has grown to become one of Australia’s largest listed financial service institutions, providing a comprehensive range of financial products and services to consumers, businesses, community organizations, and governments.

Since 2004, the company has been organized around three regional businesses: Australia (National Australia Bank), United Kingdom (Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank), and New Zealand (Bank of New Zealand).

The company also has a global line of business in Institutional Markets & Services, which provides institutions and corporate customers with debt, risk management, and investment products.

A streamlined Corporate Center supports the regional businesses through a range of functions. It works with the business to set performance targets and policies, and to identify business development opportunities and foster innovation. The Corporate Center is also responsible for shareholder and group related prudential activities and statutory obligations, such as external reporting.

The goal of The DMA Financial Services Council is to integrate the direct marketing concept, its tactics, and its practices with mainstream insurance and financial services marketing to create a strategic business synergism. The Council also seeks to provide the tools that can be used to fulfill the needs of consumers, with high-quality, value-laden products and services.

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