Valerie Brown Named CEO of ING Advisors Network

ING announced today that Valerie Brown has been named CEO, ING Advisors Network. Brown replaces John Simmers who retired in early April. Brown had been president, ING Retail Annuities Market Segment. Brown has considerable experience in retail independent distribution as she was president of ING Advisors Network from 2002 through 2007 before moving to ING's annuity business.

"Valerie is the ideal leader for ING Advisors Network as the business enters a period of strategic review," said Catherine H. Smith, CEO, ING U.S. Retirement Services. "Valerie's years of experience with the network, her commitment to independent retail distribution, and her expertise in managing through periods of transition and change provide excellent credentials to lead ING Advisors Network into its next phase of growth and success."

Brown has served in a variety of executive roles during her ING career, including as chief-of-staff for ING Group's Executive Committees, Americas and Asia/Pacific, in Amsterdam. Within ING Americas, she has served as president and chief executive officer, ING Life Direct; executive vice president, Branding; president and CEO, ING Medical Risk Solutions, and executive vice president, Strategic Marketing and Management Development.

"I am thrilled to return to the business that remains my passion in the financial services industry," Brown said. "The role of the trusted, independent financial professional is more important today than ever before. Although ING Advisors Network is currently going through a comprehensive strategic review, the Network remains committed to providing exceptional service to its registered representatives. Furthermore, I am committed to developing a long-term strategy that allows our registered representatives to build and grow their businesses effectively."

ING Advisors Network is an independent broker-dealer network consisting of Financial Network Investment Corporation, ING Financial Partners, Inc., Multi-Financial Securities Corporation and PRIMEVEST Financial Services, Inc. With over 7,000 financial professionals and over 600 financial institution relationships, these four firms specialize in financial planning, asset management, insurance and third-party bank marketing.

  Press inquiries:

  Mr. Dana E. Ripley
  ING Americas
  Office: 770.980.4865
  Cell:  404.788.9624
  Dana.ripley@us.ing.com

  About ING

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million residential, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 120,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves over 29 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: dana.ripley@us.ing.com

SOURCE: ING Americas

CONTACT: Mr. Dana E. Ripley of ING Americas, Office: +1-770-980-4865, or
Cell: +1-404-788-9624, Dana.ripley@us.ing.com

Web Site: http://www.ing.com/