Larry Zimpleman is recognized for outstanding contributions to economic security

October 29, 2013 (Des Moines, Iowa) - Zimpleman, the chairman, president and chief executive officer of the Principal Financial Group®, received the 2013 Lillywhite Award at the Pensions & Investments West Coast Defined Contribution Conference in San Francisco October 29, 2013.

The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) sponsors the award which recognizes outstanding lifetime contributions to Americans' economic security.

EBRI president and CEO, Dallas Salisbury presented the award, praising Zimpleman for four decades of commitment to financial security.

"Larry's contributions to America's retirement prospects extend through the tens of millions of participants served by The Principal® during his career, as well as his leadership in a wide variety of professional and academic organizations over the years," noted Salisbury. "He is a long-standing champion of savings and financial literacy, who continues to lead both his company and this industry by his example."

This is the second time a CEO from The Principal was selected for the prestigious award. Former CEO, David Hurd, received the Lillywhite award in 1997.

"While the Lillywhite award is based on individual accomplishments, I believe it is also a positive reflection on The Principal that two of its leaders have received the highly regarded distinction," said Dan Houston, president of retirement, insurance and financial services at The Principal. "It is certainly a fitting recognition for Larry who has made such a difference through his lifelong commitment to promoting financial security - from expansion to global emerging markets, to leading regulatory and legislative issues through industry trade groups, to financial literacy in high schools to leading our company through the crisis of the recession. We are pleased that EBRI also recognizes his many contributions."

Zimpleman's storied career

Zimpleman joined The Principal in 1971 as an actuarial intern. He has more than 40 years' experience in the financial services industry at The Principal, including all aspects of strategic and operations management. Since 2001, Zimpleman has led the company's global expansion efforts and integration of domestic pension operations with retirement businesses outside the U.S.

Viewed as an expert and leader

Zimpleman is a highly regarded expert on retirement security, investment management and global retirement systems. His leadership and expertise is regularly sought by government officials and regulators worldwide.

  • In both 2002 and 2006, Zimpleman was elected to serve as a delegate to the congressionally mandated National Summit on Retirement Savings (SAVER Summit) held in Washington, D.C.
  • Zimpleman participates in The Wall Street Journal's "The Experts" and writes guest opinions for various publications and on The Principal Blog.
  • Zimpleman holds leadership positions in several industry organizations (including the Financial Services Roundtable, the American Council of Life Insurers, and the Business Roundtable) focused on promoting and protecting the financial security of workers and businesses throughout the United States and worldwide.
  • Zimpleman was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 from PLANSPONSOR, a national retirement industry magazine, for his extraordinary contributions to the retirement plan industry.

About the Lillywhite Award

The Lillywhite Award is named for Ray Lillywhite, a pioneer in the pension field, who for decades guided state employee pension plans. EBRI established the award to acknowledge the contributions of individuals and whose outstanding service enhances Americans' economic security.www.ebri.org/programs/lillywhite/.

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