ING, a global financial services company, is joining The Executive Leadership Council, the nation's premier leadership organization composed of the most senior African-American corporate executives in Fortune 500 companies, beginning on Thursday, Oct. 8, to focus on empowering the next generation of business leaders.

Thomas J. McInerney, chairman and CEO, ING Americas, will participate in The Executive Leadership Council CEO Diversity Summit and provide remarks during the organization's Annual Recognition Dinner celebrating the achievements of African-Americans in business and public service. ING employees will also gain critical leadership development skills while attending the Mid-Level Managers' Symposium on Friday, Oct. 9.

"Participating in the CEO Diversity Summit allows me to take part in candid discussions about diversity and inclusion, learn about diversity trends and innovation, but more important, join fellow CEOs in making our commitment to The Executive Leadership Council to advance a more inclusive business leadership pipeline and develop African-American business leaders," said McInerney.

ING is also the lead sponsor of the Annual Recognition Dinner that will honor corporations and individuals who are leaders and champions of business excellence. "ING's full participation in The Executive Leadership Council's upcoming events and support as a member company reflects our confidence in the organization's value to corporate America and importance of valuing diversity and inclusion in the workplace," adds McInerney.

The Executive Leadership Council's events will take place at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.

About ING
ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million residential, corporate and institutional clients in more than 40 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 115,000 people, ING is dedicated to setting the standard in helping our clients manage their financial future.

In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offers 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 nearly 30 million customers across the nation.

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

For more information, visit www.ing.com/us.

About The Executive Leadership Council
The Executive Leadership Council is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(6) corporation founded in 1986, providing African-American executives of major U.S. companies with a professional network and forum to offer perspective and direction on national and international business and public policy issues. Our programs develop future business leaders, filling the pipeline from the classroom to the boardroom. The Executive Leadership Council is the preeminent organization that recognizes the strengths, success, contributions, and impact of African-American corporate business leaders. Council members - more than 500 executives, one-third of them women - represent more than 380 Fortune 500 corporations.

For more information, please visit www.elcinfo.com.

ING

ING

ING U.S. constitutes the U.S.-based retirement, investment management and life insurance operations of Netherlands-based ING Groep N.V. (NYSE: ING). In the U.S., the ING family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, including retirement plans, IRA rollovers and transfers, stable value, institutional investment management, mutual funds, alternative investments, life insurance, employee benefits, fixed and indexed annuities and financial planning. ING U.S. holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves approximately 13 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit http://ing.us.

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