"We are enormously grateful for David's outstanding contribution to The Hartford and I am personally thankful for his leadership, partnership and friendship," said Ramani Ayer, chairman and chief executive officer of The Hartford. "The Board of Directors and I accepted his resignation with regret. Today, the company is financially strong and much of that is a credit to David's stewardship of our enterprise risk and capital management efforts. David has been a true champion of excellence in disclosure and financial reporting. We are also fortunate that David has developed a very talented finance team."
"I am extremely proud of what The Hartford has accomplished during this period and the opportunity I have had to contribute to that success," said Johnson. "The company has never been on a stronger financial footing and is very well positioned in the current competitive environment and market conditions. After seven years at the helm of the company's finance organization, I am confident about the opportunities ahead for The Hartford and am looking forward to the next challenge for me."
Prior to joining The Hartford, Johnson was senior executive vice president and CFO of Cendant Corp., which he joined in 1998. He also had a 12-year career with Merrill Lynch where he served in a number of roles, including managing director in the investment banking division. In 2000, CFO Magazine named Johnson one of the leading CFOs in the U.S. under the age of 40 and Institutional Investor Magazine has named him one of The Best CFOs in America for 2004, 2005 and 2006. In addition, The Hartford received IR Magazine's award for "Best Disclosure Policy" in 2007.
The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services companies, with 2006 revenues of $26.5 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, Brazil and the United Kingdom.