Spring 2008 issue of Terry Magazine - (Page 24)

market. International expan“He likes to hunt quail or sion? To pay for his national fish, or just sit on the porch ad campaign, Amos closed watching the breeze,” says or sold businesses in seven Kathelen VanBlarcum Amos, countries where Aflac was whom Dan married in 2005. licensed. Kathelen is a 1982 UGA “The time isn’t always right law school graduate, and she for health insurance in underheads the Aflac Foundation. developed economies,” he The couple went to the same says. “There’s more of a chalchurch for years, and their lenge to simply provide very grandmothers knew one basic care.” another. Now they enjoy their Amos believes in a higher “blended and extended famcalling for business. ily,” Kathelen says — five kids “Our purpose is to help total, and three grandkids. people in time of need, in (Dan’s son, Paul, is presia health care crisis,” he says dent of Aflac at age 32. He flatly. “If you aren’t doing has two degrees and speaks that, nothing else works. Japanese. As president, he is “You need first a product in line to one day possibly Audrey Tillman was working in Aflac’s legal department when Dan Amos asked her to consider taking a new job as head of the company’s human resources that is wanted and needed, become CEO of Aflac.) department. “How do you know it’s the position for me?” said Tillman. Amos that gives a good return to Kathelen has been witness said he had a gut feeling she would be even more valuable in the new position. In retrospect, both parties agree it was the right decision. Tillman has since been the customer. Then you can to Amos decision-making firstpromoted to executive vice president for corporate services. build a company. Then you hand, in an early job interview can reward a shareholder. at Aflac and as a spouse. “I think Danny’s probably the most intuitive person I’ve ever That’s the driving force for a CEO. “There’s also social responsibility . . . some responsibility to give met,” she says. “But he’s also a good strategist. A lot of people are good one-on-one, and a lot more are good at 30,000 feet. Dan back when the world has been good to you.” Kathelen knows he means it. can move very quickly between the two, and it gives him a real “First and foremost,” she says, “Dan thinks serving God and advantage.” Intuition and strategy are virtues for a weekday, but don’t honoring family and people who work for you is just the right thing interrupt Dan Amos on Saturday afternoons when the Georgia to do.” Bulldogs play football. “We set our watch by college football,” says Kathelen. “This year, Giving back we were invited to some kind of function, and Dan was incredulous Aflac does the right thing in Columbus, for sure. In the last few that anybody would schedule it at the same time the Bulldogs had years, the company has pumped money into student scholarships, a football game. rehab for the houses of servicemen, and a much-needed arts and “He once made me promise that if he died,” Kathelen says, “I cultural center downtown. Aflac also recently gifted $1 million to a would not have his funeral on a football Saturday.” National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park. It’s an enduring love, UGA. The company also made two more huge gifts in 2005 to African“I was an only child,” says Amos. “When I went off to school, American causes. I had to grow up. So I grew up at UGA. I love UGA. It’s played a First, Aflac gave $1 million toward construction of a national big role in my success.” memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King. And the company Amos regularly returns to the Terry College as a guest lecturer. became the first Fortune 500 company to make a donation ($1 milHe has served as past chairman of the UGA Foundation, and he’s lion) to build a new National Museum of African-American History endowed the Amos Distinguished Professor of Insurance at Terry. and Culture. Primarily, though, the company’s philanthropy focuses on children’s cancer care . . . and in a big way. The road ahead Aflac’s financial health nourishes Columbus in ways other than Even better years likely lie ahead for Aflac and Amos. The Duck remains a juggernaut. The American insurance market is far from philanthropy. The addition of 300,000 square feet to Aflac headtapped out, and the company has been more aggressive recently in quarters — plus 2,000 more jobs by 2011 — is the sort of news that any community would welcome. Aflac’s corporate growth parallels product diversification. “Honda is an interesting business model,” says Dan. “They the pending expansion of Fort Benning, which is projected to bring started out making lawnmowers, motorcycles. They’re famous now 30,000 new military personnel, contractors, civilian employees, and families with the redeployment of armed services tank training for automobiles. They’ve been smart.” So Aflac diversifies. The company once sold only cancer insur- from Fort Knox in Kentucky. The city of Columbus is expected to ance. Today, cancer policies make up just 20 percent of sales, the rest add an additional 4,900 jobs in 2008, thanks in part to the growth accident or disability or some other policy. Aflac is pushing harder hormones of Aflac, Synovus, and Fort Benning. The little city at times seems slightly dazed by its fortune. into life insurance. Amos wants a piece of the burgeoning Hispanic oz roBerts 24 • Spring 2008 Terry College of BuSineSS

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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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