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
RIA NEWS AUG 29, 2017
BlackRock finds steep risk in U.S. investment portfolios

Even piles of investments that appear diverse could suffer big losses in the event of another market crash.

DOL fiduciary rule causing DC-plan record keepers to change business with insurance agents

Principal has communicated that independent agents must change their business models to keep receiving compensation.

RIA NEWS JUN 21, 2017
Lincoln Financial loses $150 million team to Raymond James

Brokers moving to firm's indie unit in preparation for succession.

9 more firms adopt fee disclosure template for clients

The fee schedule, developed by state regulators and other groups, details account maintenance and cash management charges.

EQUITIES FEB 27, 2017
Markets looking for policy details in Trump's speech

Some say it is critical for president to start outlining specifics on his pro-growth agenda to keep the rally going ​ 

Dow sails past 20,000
EQUITIES JAN 10, 2017
Dow sails past 20,000

The stock index hit 20,000 for the first time Wednesday morning as corporate earnings and signs that President Donald Trump will push through pro-growth policies reignited the equities rally that stalled a month ago.

Prudential, Captrust win 401(k) fiduciary breach lawsuit

The judge dismissed claims of fiduciary breach under ERISA, largely falling in line with judgments from similar cases.

Elizabeth Warren investigating sales of Prudential insurance policies by Wells Fargo
Elizabeth Warren investigating sales of Prudential insurance policies by Wells Fargo

The Massachusetts senator and Rep. Elijah Cummings have asked the insurance company's CEO for information on sales of term life insurance through Wells Fargo.

Prudential halts some insurance sales through Wells Fargo after ex-employees' whistleblower lawsuit
Prudential halts some insurance sales through Wells Fargo after ex-employees' whistleblower lawsuit

Plaintiffs allege wrongful termination after urging their employer, Prudential, to take action over seemingly fraudulent sales of life insurance policies by Wells Fargo's retail bank.

Finra bans former Prudential broker for deceptive variable annuity sales

Winston Wade Turner misrepresented facts in high-cost annuity transactions.

Prudential fined $950,000 for failures in elderly customer's variable annuity account
Prudential fined $950,000 for failures in elderly customer's variable annuity account

Finra says the firm failed to detect and prevent theft of approximately $1.3 million from an 89-year-old man's account.

Four life insurers will pay $3.4M to settle probe over death benefits
Four life insurers will pay $3.4M to settle probe over death benefits

The settlement was part of a broader crackdown by regulators in five states on insurers who allegedly failed to make death benefit payouts on a timely basis.

Jackson National, Prudential cease sale of some L-share variable annuities
Jackson National, Prudential cease sale of some L-share variable annuities

Some insurers are turning away from L-share variable annuities as appetite wanes among broker-dealers.

Former MetLife, Prudential broker accused of deceptive variable annuity sales practices

The adviser allegedly hid improper annuity exchanges from his clients and broker-dealers in part by falsifying documents and misrepresenting some of the annuity features.

The DOL fiduciary rule will forever change financial advice, and the industry has to adapt

The DOL fiduciary rule will forever change financial advice, and the industry now faces the challenge of adapting to the new regulation.