CHICAGO, IL--(MARKET WIRE)--Aug 26, 2008 -- Fort Dearborn Life Insurance Company announces the appointment of Anthony F. Trani as president and CEO. Trani, a 36-year veteran of the insurance industry, fills a vacancy recently created by retiring president Larry Newsom.

Trani will be responsible for strategic direction as well as the day-to-day oversight of Fort Dearborn Life Insurance Company and its subsidiaries, which include Fort Dearborn Life Insurance Company of New York and Combined Services LLC, a general agency.

At the same time, Trani was also named Chairman of the Board for both Colorado Bankers Life Insurance Company and Dental Network of America. These companies, along with Fort Dearborn Life Insurance Company, Fort Dearborn Life Insurance Company of New York and Combined Services LLC, comprise the Life and Subsidiary Operations of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), a Mutual Legal Reserve Company.

Trani brings substantial senior leadership experience backed by an impressive track record of building sales and distribution throughout his career. He started his career with MetLife in 1970 and filled several senior positions before serving as its head of Group Life Operations from 2003 to 2006 and president and CEO of MetLife subsidiary Paragon Life from 2000 to 2006. Trani also ran a successful independent employee benefits consulting firm. He received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Bernard M. Baruch City College of New York.

With nearly 40 years experience, Fort Dearborn Life is among the country's leading providers of employee benefits. Fort Dearborn Life markets group life, short- and long-term disability, dental and individual annuity programs. Fort Dearborn Life has $2.2 billion in assets and $153 billion of life insurance in force. Fort Dearborn Life is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company, affirmed November 1, 2007,(1) and is rated A+ (Strong) by Standard and Poor's for financial strength in its most recent report.

(1) A.M. Best Company rates the overall financial condition of a company using a scale of A++ (Superior) to F (In Liquidation).

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     John Myers
     Manager, Corporate Communications
     (630) 824-5637
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