Spring 2008 issue of Terry Magazine - (Page 23)

himself, realized how his work force would benefit from policies supporting working families. “We have a lot of soccer moms, part-time salespeople, folks who carpool. They need flexibility,” says Amos. “Our policies support them.” The company celebrates ethnic, gender, racial, age, military, and other diversity with an annual Diversity Day. Finest CEO in America Finally, there’s leadership. Few dreamed that the boy wonder, good as he’d been, would Amos earned headlines — and predictable scorn from entitled become, arguably, the finest CEO of his era. CEOs — with his decision to be the first American CEO to let shareBut what else is one to think, based on the record? holders have a say in his compensation. Since 1990, Aflac has . . . A nonbinding vote on compensation ■ Produced 18 consecutive years of 15 Amos says he learned for Amos and his executive team will percent earnings-per-share growth, three essential tenets of come this May at the annual shareminimum. risk management from Terry holders meeting. ■ Rewarded shareholders handsomely. “Dan is one of the most percep1,000 shares of Aflac stock bought professor E.J. Leverett: "First, tive and competent leaders I’ve ever in 1990 were worth $1,190; 1,000 you don't risk a lot known,” says Joe Frank Harris (BBA shares purchased on March 12, for a little. Second, you don't ’58), former governor of Georgia and 2008, were worth $462,825. an Aflac board member since 1991. ■ Grown its annual revenues from $2.7 risk more than you can “I’m amazed at his intuition, his sense billion to $15.4 billion in 2007. afford to lose. Third, you of what to do, and when.” ■ Raised its market cap from $1.2 bilalways consider the odds. Honestly, how many other acting lion to more than $30 billion, withThese principles have been American CEOs have been so good, so out acquiring any companies (as of long, in so many ways? Dec. 31, 2007), surpassing Georgia the filter for most every “I’ve been extremely impressed with titans SunTrust and the Southern decision I've made since UGA." Aflac’s consistency in achieving at such Company. a high performance level over such a ■ Grown in 2007 by $10 million each long time,” says Andrew Kligerman, an insurance analyst at UBS day, turning $1 million in profit Securities. “Dan never seems to lose his intensity and desire to sustain every hour of a 40-hour week. Aflac’s leadership position. He’s the kind of CEO you’d like to see at ■ Increased its annual dividend yearly (for 26 consecutive years, in all). Total cash dividends paid in 2007 were any company.” 45.5 percent higher than in 2006. ■ Grown to be the most profitable insurance company operating Leading the orchestra in Japan. Dan Amos is a consensus builder, a leader who synthesizes an ■ Boosted U.S. brand awareness from 2 percent recognition to immense amount of information from field, board, community, and 92 percent. gut, then makes a decision. ■ Stepped forward, along with nearby Synovus — which rose to “He’s our orchestra leader,” says Aflac CFO Kriss Cloninger. prominence under the leadership of fellow Terry alum Jimmy “He’s chosen people with expertise in certain areas, and he melds Blanchard (BBA ’63, LLB ’65), who is now retired — as civic inputs from these various experts into a symphony that makes champion of Columbus. Amos, personally, and Aflac, corpo- good sound.” rately, have gifted the city with tens of millions of dollars. Amos won’t, uh, duck bad news. ■ Championed the Aflac Cancer Center in an effort to cure child“He always tells us, bad news does not improve with age,” says hood cancer and blood diseases [see p. 25]. Audrey Tillman, who is now executive vice president for corporate There’s more. services. “But when we come in with a problem, he expects us to The corporate culture fostered by Dan Amos is the stuff of come in with our ideas on how to fix it, too.” legend. Aflac is a fixture on Fortune’s list of Best Places to Work in Is there a private Dan Amos? Of course. But you get the feeling America. It also appears on definitive lists of America’s most ethical he doesn’t look and act much different from the CEO. If it walks companies, best companies for working mothers, and best compa- like Dan and talks like Dan, it’s probably Dan. nies for minorities. “There’s not an aloof bone in his body,” declares Tillman. Truth to tell, it’s hard to find a more progressive employee Watch him prowl the HQ tower. Someone yells, “Hey Dan, relations organization. Aflac was among the first major companies how’s it going?” to provide onsite daycare (1991). The benefit gives employees peace He dances with employees at the Christmas party. He chats with of mind — and doubles as a recruiting tool. Employees receive anyone who climbs into an elevator. bonuses each year before Thanksgiving, and Aflac devotes an entire Amos recharges his batteries with a short drive to his beloved week annually to employee appreciation. Workers job-share, tele- Harris County farm. He drives a Volvo SUV, and endures the teascommute, get help with education, choose their own benefits, and ing of his farm workers that it’s a “soccer-mom car.” Well, let ‘em even use a private calling area at work for personal calls. Half the tease . . . Amos owns 4,000 acres of broom sedge fields and piney company’s salespeople are female, and Dan Amos, father of two kids woods and a restored farmhouse that dates from 1850. Aflac,” he admits. “Things just kind of broke my way.” One Amos son became a doctor. One had no interest in the corporate side of the business. And so it went. In 1990, the man with the black belt in persuasion stepped into the CEO suite, the day he turned 39. Terry College of BuSineSS Spring 2008 • 23

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Terry School of Business - Spring 2008

Terry School of Business - Spring 2008 Contents Quick Bites Research & Innovation Gatherings Best CEO in America An Unlikely Rock Star Fire & Flavor Beyond the Bench Terry Memo Economic Scorekeeper Class Notes

Terry School of Business - Spring 2008

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