Fall brings special celebrations, recognitions and awards to Cigna

Posted on Nov 05, 2012 by Sergio Ulloa (G+)

The autumn of 2012 has been a significant and celebratory one for Cigna, with October marking 50 years for the Cigna Foundation, the recognition of some of Cigna's leadership in a national magazine and the honor of receiving the International Benefits Provider of the year award at the Expatriate Management and Mobility Awards. First, the Cigna Foundation celebrated its 50th birthday in October. The Cigna Foundation is a private foundation, funded by Cigna Corporation and their subsidiaries, that is committed to improving the health and well-being of people in the community, especially those communities where Cigna employees reside. To mark the occasion, the company held searches for the healthiest workplaces in the world and a "Go Volunteer" campaign to encourage employees to be more active in their communities. In its 50 years, the Cigna Foundation has given a total of $220 million in donations and now operates internationally. The foundation has been a long-time supporter of The March of Dimes and The United Way and more than 100 communities have also benefited from the foundation's work. "This 50th anniversary year is a great time for Cigna to celebrate its history and plan the future as a global foundation working to improve the health of individuals and communities around the world. Our employees and the Cigna Foundation are working tirelessly to improve the state of health and wellness for all individuals," said Cigna CEO David M. Cordani. Cordani added that the Cigna Foundation has been instrumental in encouraging the company's more than 35,000 employees to become more active in their communities and in service-oriented areas. Over the last five decades, employees have clocked more than one million volunteer hours. 2013 will see a special campaign to continue to encourage employees to give back to their communities with the Go Volunteer Year of Service. Next year will also mark the start of the Global Knowledge Exchange Network, which is one of the first programs of its kind to find the world's healthiest workplaces and highlight some of these effective programs. Next on the list of special occasions for Cigna, Savoy Magazine included two of Cigna's leaders on its 2012 Top Influential Women in Corporate America list - Nicole Jones, executive vice president and general counsel, and Rosanna Durruthy, chief diversity officer. Jones serves on Cigna's general counsel and has been instrumental in guiding the company as the U.S. has undergone major health care reform and Durruthy serves the company by focusing on diversity and inclusion as a part of the company's commitment to work with customers to help their health, sense of security and overall well-being. This is not the first award of this kind for Durruthy, and in 2002, she was named one of the country's leading Hispanic women by both Hispanic and Hispanic Business magazines. "Congratulations to Nicole and Rosanna for being recognized for their strong contributions to Cigna. The recognition is a reflection of Cigna's diverse and dynamic executive leadership," said John Murabito, executive vice president of Cigna Human Resources and Services. In addition to celebrating 50 years of the Cigna Foundation and the recognition of some of the company's top employees, Cigna Global Health Benefits received the International Benefits Provider of Year award at the recent 2012 Expatriate Management and Mobility Awards (EMMAs) in Las Vegas. This marks the second consecutive year for Cigna to win this prestigious award at the EMMAs, which is widely regarded as one of the most prominent awards ceremony in the global mobility profession. The EMMAs received more than 1,000 entries this year, but with more than 870,000 expatriate and international customers and over one million partnerships with doctors, physicians, clinics and hospitals strategically located around the world, Cigna was a clear winner. Another contributing factor to Cigna's success lies in its scope of healthcare coverage benefits, which range from standard in and out-patient coverage and extend to dental, vision and even well-being coverage benefits. "Each day, Cigna furthers our customer-centric commitment by developing innovative products and providing superior customer service," said Andrew Kielty, president of Cigna Global Health Benefits. "I am extremely proud of our team for winning this award two years in a row." The sponsor of the EMMAs is the Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM) at its annual US Global Mobility Summit. FEM is a leader in the industry and brings together different elements, including international human resource and global mobility professionals. "Winning an EMMA is the ultimate recognition of excellence in global mobility. Congratulations to Cigna," said Brian Friedman, founder and CEO of FEM. A positive few months for Cigna, it will be interesting to see what the winter months and start of 2013 will bring for the company.