Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) announced today that it plans to
open a business and technology services center in El Paso, TX that will
offer quality job opportunities to military spouses, veterans and their
families and other members of the El Paso community.
“We’re delighted to open our new technology and business operations
center in El Paso,” said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld at
a news conference today at El Paso City Hall. “With this new business,
Prudential is continuing its commitment to provide meaningful training
and employment to veterans, military service members and their families
and people from diverse backgrounds.”
Texas has the second largest number of veterans (1.6 million)
nationally, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, with 48,000
living in metropolitan El Paso. In addition, Fort Bliss, which is
located in El Paso, adds over 6,000 veterans per year into the job
market.
“Texas isn’t just competing against other states for jobs like the ones
Prudential is bringing to our state, we’re competing against other
nations, and a win for Texas means a win for the United States,” said
Texas Governor Rick Perry. “That’s why we work hard to maintain our
economic climate, built upon our ongoing commitment to fiscal
conservatism and maintaining a world-class workforce. Filling a major
part of that workforce are our dedicated, talented military veterans,
and Prudential’s focus on filling these quality new jobs with Texas’
capable veterans is a move that will greatly benefit employer and
employee alike.”
Barbara Koster, senior vice president and Chief Information Officer at
Prudential, added that the decision to locate the center in El Paso was
influenced by its “triangle of business” model of collaboration between
military and academic institutions and the Borderplex Alliance, a
privately funded economic development group that partners with the City
of El Paso and business leaders in the El Paso metro area.
“This creates a powerful and supportive business environment,” said
Barbara Koster, who heads Prudential’s Veterans Initiatives, a
companywide program that supports efforts throughout the company to
recruit and retain veterans and to provide services to military families.
“El Paso is proud to be a new home for Prudential. The City and all our
partners are committed to ensuring the success of Prudential’s latest
expansion. Prudential has proven their dedication to our armed forces,
and today’s announcement continues to show their support of the military
through the commitment to hire military veterans and their spouses. I
want to thank Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld and Prudential
CIO Barbara Koster and their team for their trust in the El Paso
community and our skilled workforce,” said Oscar Leeser, Mayor of El
Paso.
“We are honored to welcome Prudential to our region,” Borderplex
Alliance’s CEO Rolando Pablos said. “The Borderplex Alliance has worked
closely on this project with the City of El Paso and Prudential and now
the time is here to share this exciting announcement. Prudential’s
presence in our region will not only enhance our financial services
cluster, but it will also bring high quality jobs to our citizens;
especially to those retiring military personnel seeking to embark on a
new career. We look forward to a long and prosperous working
relationship with Prudential.”
Prudential has selected HGS USA, a local customer relationship
management contractor, as a partner in the new office. “We’re proud to
partner with Prudential to help attract and transition military veterans
into the workplace and take advantage of talented, disciplined leaders
who have strong skills that are easily transferable to employment in the
civilian sector,” said Kathy Hamburger, President of HGS USA.
Prudential and HGS also worked closely with the Borderplex Alliance and
the University of Texas El Paso to open the new center. Over the next
several years, it is expected to provide about 300 new jobs. HGS is a
world leader in customer relationship management and business process
services for a global clientele comprising several Fortune 500
Companies. HGS has a global footprint with 51 locations around the world.
As part of Prudential’s longstanding commitment to U.S. veterans, active
service members and veterans already in our employ, Prudential’s
Veterans Initiative team coordinates companywide efforts to create
sustainable programs for transitioning veterans, and collaborates with
corporate peers to support similar programs with an emphasis on
providing veterans access to quality education, job training, and
employment opportunities. These efforts include Prudential’s sponsorship
of VETalent, an innovative training and hiring program run by Workforce
Opportunity Services (WOS), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with a
proven track record. For more information, visit www.prudential.com/veterans.
In April 2014, Military Times magazine named Prudential a “Best
for Vets” Employer for its commitment to providing job training and
opportunities for veterans, and support for military personnel on
reserve duty.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU), a financial services leader with
more than $1.1 trillion of assets under management as of December 31,
2013, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin
America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to
helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their
wealth through a variety of products and services, including life
insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and
investment management. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has
stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a
century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.
Copyright Business Wire 2014