Kaj Ahlmann, Retired Chairman, President and CEO of Employers Reinsurance, Joins SSA & Company Advisory Board

New York, August 31, 2009 – Today SSA & Company, a global operations consulting firm, announced that Kaj Ahlmann, retired chairman, president and CEO of Employers Reinsurance (a division of General Electric), will be joining the company’s Advisory Board.

"As the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, Kaj’s breadth of experience and deep understanding and appreciation for process improvement continues SSA & Company’s strong history of engaging the counsel, advice and experience of Fortune 500 CEOs and board members to innovate our services,” says Scott Miller, CEO of SSA & Company, and the former CEO and Chairman of Hyatt Hotels. “His perspective on the broader business world and his deep expertise in the insurance industry are a tremendous addition to our team.”

Mr. Ahlmann added to Mr. Miller’s remarks, saying, “I’m very excited about working with SSA & Company.  In today’s economy, companies need to focus on process and operational effectiveness more than ever.  This is particularly true for companies in the financial services and insurance industries.  I believe SSA & Company is on the leading edge of process improvement and has the innovative, customized approach CEOs demand.”

After retiring from his CEO position at Employer’s Reinsurance, Mr. Ahlmann began his own consulting business, offering advice to financial services firms, including insurance companies. He currently serves as a director for the Deutsche Bank Advisory Council, Cyrus Re, the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, RLI Corporation, and is a past chair of the Reinsurance Association of America.  He and his family also own and operate the Six Sigma Ranch, Vineyards and Winery in Lower Lake, California.

SSA & Company has led innovation in the business process improvement industry, in large part because of the company’s connection with CEOs, both past and present.  Its Strategic Process Management (SPM) approach to business improvement delivers results in 90 days and generates returns of five to ten times the size of the initial investment.  It is rapidly becoming a new standard for process improvement, and is helping industries that have not historically focused on process improvement, such as insurance, retail, private equity and technology, uncover and solve major sources of waste.

“We exist to help our clients deliver greater results by applying innovative models like SPM,” says David Niles, President and COO of SSA & Company.  “And we are constantly identifying new places and ways to apply those models.  Adding Kaj to our team of advisors helps us continue to build our understanding of what executives need and want, and gives us a unique understanding of the challenges facing the insurance industry.”