Prudential opens business center in El Paso that will offer quality jobs to military families and veterans
Strangfeld (right) shakes hands with veteran Javier Fierro. Fierro and David Zubia (center) are the first two hires at the new business center.
NEWARK, N.J., April 29, 2014 – 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.
Koster (right) speaks with Fort Bliss Senior Chaplain Youn Kim.
“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.
