9.02.2008 - 09:18am ET

(CSRwire) ATLANTA,GA. - September 2, 2008 - ING, a global financial services company, proudly announces today that it has earned the top rating of 100 percent in the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), an annual survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. "ING is committed to attracting and retaining top talent," said Tom McInerney, member, executive board of ING Group, chairman and chief executive officer, ING Americas. "This commitment is the foundation to ensuring that we develop strong diversity and inclusion practices that promote equal opportunities for every individual in our organization. We are proud to receive recognition specific to our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) initiatives as it affirms our position that ING has created a welcoming environment in which individuals feel valued and respected."

ING joins the ranks of 259 other major U.S. businesses that get top marks for their treatment of LGBT employees and consumers. "Achieving a perfect score for the third year in a row is very encouraging," said Debbie Holcombe, head of U.S. Workforce Diversity. "With the help of our Gay and Lesbian Employee Network, we are constantly challenging ourselves to integrate diversity into everything we do to realize a more inclusive culture and produce sustained organizational impact and growth. Our continued focus on improving programs and policies that address the needs of our employees and LGBT community stakeholders is critical to our success."

The CEI rated 583 businesses in total, evaluating LGBT-related policies and practices, including non-discrimination policies, transgender health benefits and domestic partner benefits. ING's efforts in ensuring LGBT equality in each of the survey’s main criterion earned it the prestigious 100 percent ranking.

"The 2009 Corporate Equality Index shows that corporate America understands that a diverse workforce is critical to remaining successful and competitive," said HRC Foundation President Joe Solmonese. "In the absence of a federal law that prohibits workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, it is up to employers to take the lead and implement policies that ensure all their employees are protected."

For more information on the 2009 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.


About ING

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of over 130,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offer a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves over 17 million customers across the nation.

ING's diversity management philosophy and commitment to workforce diversity, diversity marketing, corporate citizenship and supplier diversity fosters and inclusive environment for employees that supports a distinctive product and service experience for the financial services consumer.

For more information, visit www.ing.com.

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