News Room

June 13, 2003

IDG's Computerworld Names Assurant Group to 10th Annual List of Best Places to Work in Technology

ATLANTA/MIAMI: Assurant Group announced that IDG’s Computerworld has selected the specialty insurer and risk management company as one of the top workplaces for information technology (IT) professionals for the second consecutive year.

Assurant ranked 55th on Computerworld’s 2003 Best Places to Work in IT list, up from 76th in 2002.  The list is part of the weekly IT newspaper’s 10th annual Best Places to Work in IT survey.  The list was published in the June 9 issue and also is available online at Computerworld.com.

Computerworld has ranked the top 100 work environments for technology professionals since 1994.  Nominated companies complete a comprehensive questionnaire that examines company benefits, diversity, career development, training and retention.  In addition, Computerworld this year surveyed more than 11,500 IT workers, and their responses factored heavily in determining the rankings.

“This recognition for our company is really a reflection of the quality of our employees,” said Robert Lewis, an Assurant executive vice president and the company’s chief information officer.  “We have an extremely good group of talented people who are dedicated and focused on the needs of their customers.”

Assurant’s IT staffs in Atlanta and Miami support a global operation that includes more than 5,600 employees and facilities in 11 states in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. The Computerworld survey ranked Assurant above average in several key categories, including percentage of minority staff (5th), percentage of minority managers (12th) and low employee turnover (34th).

“Our extensive survey of IT workers – from CIOs to help desk technicians – gave us a compelling yardstick with which to measure employers’ offerings against the work environments that technology professionals prize most,” said Maryfran Johnson, editor in chief of Computerworld.  “We’ve found that the best employers, no matter the industry, are able to retain the best technology people by creating focused, responsive and challenging workplaces.”

Other companies that Computerworld ranked among the Best Places to Work includes Discover Financial Services, Hershey Foods Corp., Harley Davidson, Inc., the University of Miami and MasterCard International.

About Assurant Group

Assurant Group companies underwrite, market and administer specialty risk management products and services through partnerships with leading financial institutions, auto and manufactured home dealers and retailers. These products include specialty property insurance, debt protection programs, extended service contracts and certain membership programs.

Headquartered in Atlanta and Miami, Assurant does business throughout North America, Latin America and Europe.  The company has more than 5,600 employees and operations in 11 states in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. 

Assurant is part of Fortis, an international financial services provider active in the fields of insurance, banking and investment.

About Computerworld

Computerworld is the only integrated media company focused exclusively on the information needs of IT leaders – those who manage and implement technology in Global 2000 organizations.  The company’s flagship weekly newspaper – along with its Computerworld.com Web site and conference series for IT leaders – form the U.S.-based hub of the world’s largest (58-edition) worldwide IT media network.

Computerworld is a business unit of IDG, the world’s leading technology media, research and event company.

Media contact

James A. Sykes
Director, Corporate Communications
Assurant Solutions
260 Interstate N. Circle, SE
Atlanta, Ga. 30339-2111
Telephone: 770.763.1015
FAX: 770.859.4325
E-mail: james.sykes@assurant.com

Reference: 0314