Allianz Life Named to Working Mother ‘100 Best Companies’ for Fourth Consecutive Year

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 26 -- Allianz Life, a provider of retirement solutions, including fixed and variable annuities and life insurance for individuals, issued the following news release:

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life(R)) announced today that has been named to the 2017 Working Mother 100 Best Companies list. Making the list for the fourth consecutive year, Allianz Life was recognized for its leadership in creating progressive programs for employees in the areas of flexibility, advancement of women, childcare and paid parental leave. Allianz Life employs approximately 1,800 people in the Twin Cities metro area.

"It's critical to the success of Allianz Life that we foster a workplace where every person feels welcome, connected, and valued," said Allianz Life President and CEO Walter White. "By cultivating the talents and perspectives of a diverse group of people, including working mothers, our company becomes stronger and is a more vibrant part of the community."

Helping employees in need

Allianz Life received top ranking scores in part due to its support in helping employees during times of need. In addition to offering additional paid time off during a personal crisis, the company provides resources for employees who are caregivers looking after older relatives. The company also utilizes best practices in supporting women leaders, gathers and uses feedback from employees to build career development programs, and has a Women in Leadership team dedicated to creating a gender-balanced leadership team for all areas of the organization.

Additionally, Allianz Life offers various benefits such as: paid bonding leave, caregiving leave, adoption aid and services for parents raising children with special needs. The company also supports the physical, mental and financial health of its employees. Allianz Life provides a wellness program that includes: an on-site fitness center, easy access to preventive care, access to financial advisors, and planning tools to support financial fitness.

Working Mother of the Year

Submitted with the 100 Best Companies application, Allianz Life nominated Seethalakshmi Shambashivan to be the company's 2017 Working Mother of the Year. Seethalakshmi was nominated as the company's Working Mother of Year in recognition of her dedication to being a mother of twins while building her career. She earned her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management and is a volunteer for local organizations including Junior Achievement, which teaches financial literacy.

"I am honored to have been chosen as Working Mother of the Year for Allianz Life," said Seethalakshmi. "When I decided to earn my degree while working full-time after having my twins, I was able to balance everything successfully because of the support from my family, co-workers and professors. I hope my experience proves that when you persevere and set your mind to do something, you can."

About the Working Mother Top 100

For more than 30 years, the Working Mother 100 Best Companies has honored companies that support working families. The 100 Best collects data and raises awareness of new programs designed to help working moms and all employees thrive at work and home. The analysis includes responses to more than 500 questions on workforce representation, child care, flexibility programs, leave policies and more. The 2017 Working Mother 100 Best Companies were weighted on representation of women, advancement programs and flexible work options. All 100 Best Companies will be featured in the October/November issue of Working Mother and on workingmother.com.

About Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, one of FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For(R) in 2017, has been keeping its promises since 1896. Today, it carries on that tradition, helping Americans achieve their retirement income and protection goals with a variety of annuities and life insurance products. In 2016, Allianz Life provided a total of $2.6 billion in benefit payments that supported policyholders' financial objectives. As a leading provider of fixed index annuities, Allianz Life is part of Allianz SE, a global leader in the financial services industry with 142,000 employees in more than 70 countries worldwide. More than 85 million private and corporate customers rely on Allianz knowledge, global reach, and capital strength to help them make the most of financial opportunities. For more news about Allianz Life, follow us on Facebook and Twitter AllianzLifeNews.