COMPANIES

Prudential Financial

Office address: 751 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102
Website: prudential.com
Year established: 1875
Company type: financial services
Employees: 38,200+
Expertise: life insurance, annuities, retirement planning, investment management, mutual funds, ETFs, group insurance, wealth management, institutional asset management, financial advisory services
Parent company: N/A
Key people: Andrew Sullivan (CEO), Yanela Frias (CFO), Ann Kappler (general counsel), Vicki Walia (chief people officer), Scott Case (head of global technology and operations), Jacques Chappuis (PGIM CEO), Timothy Schmidt (chief investment officer)
Financing status: publicly traded corporation

Prudential Financial is a Newark-based financial services firm that operates across the US, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The company provides life insurance, investment management, and retirement planning products. PGIM, its investment arm, manages $1.6 trillion in assets as of June 2025.

History of Prudential Financial

Prudential traces its roots to 1875 when John Dryden founded The Prudential Friendly Society in Newark, NJ. Dryden believed working-class families deserved access to life insurance and offered policies for just 3 cents a week.

"The Rock" debuted as the company's corporate symbol in 1896 to represent strength and stability. The firm issued its first group insurance policy in 1916 and provided the first group pension to Cleveland Public Library in 1928.

Growth and global ambitions

Prudential Financial continued to grow in the following decades and reached major milestones along the way. During World War II, the company donated its downtown Newark building to support government efforts.

The iconic "Get a Piece of the Rock" campaign launched in 1971 and helped Prudential become the largest insurer in the world by 1975. The Prudential Foundation was established in 1976, and the firm partnered with Sony in 1979 to enter the Japanese market.

Going global and going public

The late 1990s and early 2000s brought bold moves as Prudential Financial pursued worldwide expansion. In 1997, the company created Bowie Bonds, an innovative security tied to David Bowie's music royalties, and established Prudential of Brazil.

The firm went public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 2001. Despite the 2008 global financial crisis, Prudential remained stable and acquired Star and Edison in 2010 to strengthen its position.

Prudential Financial's leadership at 150

In 2016, PGIM (Prudential Global Investment Management) was introduced as the global brand for the company's investment management arm. The firm integrated AI into underwriting in 2022 and launched "Blueprints to Black Wealth," a financial inclusion program, in 2023.

In 2025, Prudential celebrated its 150th anniversary and expanded its partnership with LPL Financial to introduce an insurance overlay retirement income strategy for advisors.

Prudential Financial products and services

Prudential Financial offers investment products and services for individual and institutional clients:

Investment accounts

  • IRAs: traditional and Roth retirement savings accounts
  • 529 plans: tax-advantaged college savings accounts
  • 401(k) plans: employer-sponsored retirement savings options
  • brokerage accounts: access to stocks, bonds, and securities

Investment products

  • mutual funds: diversified portfolios managed by professionals
  • ETFs: exchange-traded funds for flexible investing

Annuities

  • fixed annuities: guaranteed income with limited growth potential
  • fixed indexed annuities: growth opportunity tied to index performance
  • registered index-linked annuities: index-based growth with downside protection
  • variable annuities: investments in professionally managed funds

PGIM investment management

  • public fixed income: bond and debt investment strategies
  • public equity: stock market investment solutions
  • real estate: debt and equity real estate investments
  • private credit: alternative lending and credit strategies
  • multi-asset solutions: diversified strategies across asset classes

Prudential provides digital tools like spend-vs-invest calculators and retirement planning resources for investors. PGIM serves institutional clients, including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and central banks worldwide.

Culture and corporate values

According to Prudential Financial, employees shape the company's culture and drive innovation. The firm reports that respect and belonging are central to its workplace environment. Its core values are:

  • worthy of trust
  • customer focused
  • respect for each other
  • winning with integrity

Prudential reports that employee well-being is a company priority. The firm offers family-friendly policies and flexible benefits, including:

  • healthcare and insurance: medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and flexible spending accounts
  • financial wellness: retirement plans, stock purchase, mutual funds, and $5,000 student loan repayment
  • work-life and family: caregiving support, childcare, adoption reimbursement, and $1,600 yearly wellbeing stipend
  • community resources: PruCares volunteer programs, matching gifts, and personal volunteer days
  • additional benefits: education programs, legal insurance, commuter benefits, and identity protection

The company also supports diversity through Business Resource Groups, first launched in 1993. Prudential Financial now operates eight BRGs with nearly 6,000 members across the firm.

About CEO Andrew Sullivan and key people

Andrew Sullivan serves as CEO of Prudential Financial. Before this role, he led the firm's international businesses and joined Prudential in 2011 from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. Sullivan earned an executive MBA from the University of Delaware and a degree from the US Naval Academy.

Prudential Financial's executive officers guide the company's strategy and operations:

  • Ann Kappler serves as EVP, general counsel, and head of corporate affairs, overseeing law and compliance
  • Scott Case is EVP and head of global technology and operations, joining from Truist in 2024
  • Timothy Schmidt works as SVP and chief investment officer, managing global investment strategy
  • Vicki Walia serves as EVP and chief people officer, leading global talent and culture
  • Yanela Frias is EVP and CFO, overseeing financial reporting and treasury
  • Jacques Chappuis works as president and CEO of PGIM, formerly at Morgan Stanley

The leadership team at Prudential has decades of experience in financial services and investment management. Together, they guide Prudential's strategy to deliver value for clients and communities.

The future at Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial's group insurance CMO Christina Pihos recently sat down with InvestmentNews to discuss new research on employee benefits. The study found that 85 percent of employers believe they offer modern benefits, while only 59 percent of employees agree. Prudential uses these insights to help employers turn benefits into a strategic tool for talent retention and attraction.

Prudential Financial also released its 2025 Global Retirement Pulse Survey, which polled 4,200 mass affluent adults across the US, Mexico, Brazil, and Japan. The study showed that 89 percent of US respondents feel confident about covering retirement costs, yet only one-third have a written plan.

Advised clients showed 94 percent confidence as well, compared to 83 percent without an advisor. The firm sees this gap as a sign of growing demand for retirement guidance.

The latest Prudential Financial news

Displaying 422 results
Non-prime mortgages to keep pummeling carriers

Major life insurance companies’ investments in non-prime mortgages are going to continue hurting their capital positions as the year rolls on, according to a study from Fitch Ratings Ltd.

Prudential forecasts dismal 3Q results

Prudential Financial Inc. yesterday pre-released third quarter results for its financial services businesses, warning investors of large investment losses.

ABIA selects roster of officers

Thirteen banking and insurance executives have been selected to join the Washington-based trade association’s board.

Variable's loss is fixed's gain

Because of slumping second-quarter sales of variable annuities, industry observers believe fixed annuities could benefit.

FIXED INCOME AUG 07, 2008
Prudential agrees to settle with SEC

Prudential Financial yesterday agreed to settle allegations from the SEC that it used reinsurance contracts to overstate its income by more than $200 million.

RIA NEWS JUL 31, 2008
Deutsche, Prudential, Jackson Nat'l, Nymex

Deutsche Bank’s second-quarter net income fell 36% to $1 billion from $2.8 billion a year earlier.

RIA NEWS JUN 20, 2008
Pyramis names new president

Pyramis Global Advisors announced yesterday that Kevin C. Uebelein has been named president and chief executive.

RIA NEWS JUN 09, 2008
Will income plans wrapped around 401(k)s thrive?

Industry leaders are divided on whether income options in 401(k) plans will succeed and become a popular product in the next decade.

Retirement income products just can't get adviser love

Like Goldilocks, financial advisers can't seem to find many new retirement income products that are "just right."

AXA Equitable jumps into retirement annuities market

Retirees are increasingly worried that they will live too long and their savings will run out, and financial services companies are noticing.

New York Life appoints CEO

A 25-year veteran of the retirement and investment management industry, John Y. Kim comes to NYLIM from Prudential Retirement.

RIA NEWS MAR 24, 2008
Staying on course

Index managers are holding steady despite the market downturn, according to a biannual survey of managers of indexed assets by InvestmentNews' sister publication Pensions & Investments.

MUTUAL FUNDS MAR 10, 2008
Recent push by Finra is the right move

The recent push by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. to return money to harmed mutual fund investors was part of what should be a never-ending effort by the financial services industry to find ways to maintain consumer faith in the marketplace.

Carriers work on simplifying VAs

Aware of the appeal of variable annuity riders, carriers plan to strengthen their offerings while attempting to meet financial advisers' calls for simplicity.

Annuities gain ground in retirement market

Despite initial concerns about portability, cost and complexity, annuities in defined contribution plans are slowly gaining momentum, according to a new report.