1. The StandardMay 2007A magazine for employees
Moving Up In The Company
Five long-time employees discuss how to do it

2. They’re picture-perfect examples of how
to move up in the company. Clockwise
from left, Mickey Meyer, Keith Feist, Dawn
McMaster, Gregg Harrod and Jody Pfeifer
pose with their employee photos from
yesteryear.
The Standard May 2007
Contents
The Standard will lead the financial
services industry in integrity, expertise
and customer service.
Our Vision
Editor
Mark Goldstein
Senior Designer
Steve Ferrero
Writers
Amy Bennett
Kathy Born
Teri Cettina
Jennifer Floyd
Tami Matthews
Michael Tevlin
Photographers
Eric Coleman
Corin Dupree
Director of Creative Services
Will Carter
The Standard is produced by Standard
Insurance Company’s Corporate
Communications Department,
1100 SW Sixth Ave., P7A, Portland,
OR 97204. Please send story
ideas, comments or suggestions to
magazine@standard.com or call
971.321.6039.
Recycle! When you’ve finished
reading this magazine, please place
it in a newspaper recycling container.
The Standard is printed on recycled
paper with soy ink.
To help people achieve financial
security so they can confidently
pursue their dreams.
Our Purpose
Our nurse case managers translate
medical information, enabling claim
analysts to make more informed decisions.
Jim Titus discusses StanCorp
Investment Advisers’ new
educational seminars.
9 Guest Column 10 In-House Experts
May 2007
An eight-person team strives to
combine our companies into one
that’s stronger than either would be
on its own.
6 Invesmart Integration
What’s happening with the California
Teachers Association preparations?
CTA Update8
Employees who’ve advanced at The
Standard offer tips on how you too
can succeed.
Promoting from Within4
Brand in Action16
Planning for the unexpected
protects our customers if a crisis hits.
12 Business Continuity
Despite the challenges of doing business
in the Empire State, The Standard Life
Insurance Company of New York posted
its best year ever in 2006.
New York14
On the cover

3. The Standard May 2007
E
arning customer loyalty: These three words sound simple, but they evoke special power
that each of us possesses.
Earning customer loyalty requires actions. These actions may seem inconsequential to the
person who is doing them, but the person on the receiving end would probably make a very
different assessment. The receiver could have high expectations, could be in dire need of
specific actions on our part, could have any reason to make a request of us. Each time we take
the actions needed to exceed the needs of our customers, we deepen their loyalty.
I’d like to share a story about a recent experience. I was visiting one of our very large and
prestigious customers in New York. As I was introducing myself to the meeting participants,
I commented that I work with Lianne Brankner, a senior disability benefits analyst in our
White Plains, N.Y., office. One of the customer’s senior members commented, “Lianne is the
reason we stay with The Standard.” Lianne had earned this customer’s loyalty through her
professional, friendly and customer-focused actions.
It’s no secret that The Standard has many competitors. Some have great name recognition,
some advertise on TV, some have fancy marketing materials, but few can boast that they have
a customer retention rate of approximately 90 percent like The Standard does. In fact, I
doubt that many insurance companies can claim to have their first group insurance customer
still on the books like we do.
Our organization is fortunate to have many “Liannes,” but we can’t rest on our reputation.
The marketplace is so dynamic and so competitive that any deterioration we cause to our
brand by inaction will have painful consequences.
You might be thinking that your job doesn’t require interaction with customers, but all of us
have customers; some just happen to be internal customers. Customer loyalty extends to our
co-workers and hinges on the speed, efficiency, attitude and comprehensiveness with which
we deliver on the things that matter to them.
Think about your responses to these questions:
• How quickly do I respond to phone calls and e-mails?
• Do I exhibit a ‘can-do’ attitude? Am I sincere?
• How frequently do I deliver my tasks/projects ahead of schedule?
• Do I offer innovative ideas (and keep on offering more ideas even if they are not all
approved or acted upon immediately)?
• Do I anticipate my customers’ needs and act upon them?
• Are my customers (pleasantly) surprised with my actions?
Every work activity in which we engage helps build customer loyalty. To deliver on our
corporate breakaway goals, we must be able to provide our prospective external customers
with reasons to select us over our competitors. Earning customer loyalty also means taking the
actions necessary to exceed the expectations of our internal customers. That kind of internal
service and cooperation can’t help but affect the external customer at some point, and it
seems like one ideal way we can all help The Standard rise to the top. S
President’s View
For this month’s President’s View, Eric Parsons invited Stan Kulesa,
assistant vice president of benefits for The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York,
to share his perspective on customer service
Stan Kulesa, assistant vice president of benefits
The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York

4. The Standard May 2007
H
ow do you get promoted at The
Standard? We asked five employees this
question, and their answers fell into
three broad categories: job performance, job
expansion and personal development.
Keith Feist, second vice
president, Retirement Plans
Administration
Learning the nuts and
bolts of the business
is important, but
Keith Feist finds it’s
developing the “intangibles” — motivation,
solutions-orientation, positive attitude — that
makes one more valuable to the company
and therefore helps build a career. “Lifetime
learning is both personally gratifying and
a career enabler,” says the veteran of five
different positions at The Standard in a
decade.
Surveying his opportunities, he discovered
three promotion tracks: sales, technical and
management. While he felt it was important to
achieve some technical expertise, he was more
attracted to management.
Keith’s rapid move upward included stints as a
team leader, manager and director. In January
of this year, he was promoted to his current
position with Standard Retirement Services.
Gregg Harrod,
assistant vice president
of operations, StanCorp
Mortgage Investors
Ask Gregg Harrod what
he does for a living and a
job title won’t be the first
thing he’ll name — not even the second.
“Titles don’t matter,” he says. “What matters
is whether you’re doing anything that makes
a difference.”
For Gregg, it’s important to work for a
company where he can grow professionally
and contribute. The seven positions he’s held
since he started in 1985 have been a
by-product of this quest.
Starting as a corporate accounting manager,
Gregg spent seven years in Corporate
Financial Services, continually expanding
his responsibilities until he was promoted
to second vice president. He went on to
positions as corporate treasurer and later,
assistant vice president of investment
administration. In 2002, he started IT’s
Project Management Office before taking
an opportunity as a consultant with the
Operational Excellence group. In September
2006, he returned to StanCorp Mortgage
Investors as assistant vice president of
operations.
Dawn McMaster,
director of Individual Disability
Insurance Operations
Dawn McMaster’s
career has been
defined more by a
well-developed eye
Moving Upin the Company
Employees who’ve advanced at The Standard offer tips on how you too can succeed
for opportunity than by a carefully executed
plan. “I’ve just seized opportunities that
looked like fun,” she says.
That eye led her from a starting position
as a sales and marketing support specialist
through a series of sales and marketing
positions with expanding responsibilities.
She moved into management and then, in
January, she took on her current position.
Over time, she’s come to realize her career
passion lies in helping people grow.
“I see Operations as an opportunity to grow
people. It has a lot to do with processes, of
course. But for me it’s more about creating
an environment that people want to work
in,” Dawn says.
Mickey Meyer,
National Accounts risk
management team leader,
Employee Benefits Operations
Back in 1973, Mickey
Meyer landed her first full-
time job — typing renewal
letters at Standard Insurance Company.
“The thing I’ll never forget is that my boss
said I had guts to just walk in off the street.
And I said, ‘Doesn’t everybody?’ He asked
me right then and there if I wanted the job,
and I said, ‘You bet!’”
Thirty-four years and seven positions later,
Mickey leads the risk management team,
supervising 11 people, including contract
analysts, underwriters and underwriting
analysts.

5. The Standard May 2007
Jody Pfeifer, director of business applications,
IT Business Solutions
Two principles have served Jody Pfeifer well
in her 12 years at The Standard: Don’t be
afraid to take a job that challenges you and
don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know
the answer. The key is following through
to get the answer.
Jody joined The Standard in 1995 as a group project leader in
Employee Benefits. She wanted to work in Information Technology,
but she took the job because she liked the company and felt an
opportunity in IT would open for her.
She was right. Her strengths — the
assertiveness to let people know she’s
interested in a job and the confidence to
ask questions and seek guidance in order to
educate herself — have enabled Jody to move
through several positions in IT.
From systems analyst, Jody progressed through
the senior and lead positions before becoming
manager of business applications. Now, as
director, she’s responsible for leading four
managers, each of whom manages a separate
development group.
Job Performance: Bloom Where You’re Planted
Dawn McMaster uses a gardening metaphor to explain that you can’t
get that next job if you don’t do your current job well: “Bloom where
you’re planted.”
Dawn was eager to advance, but she always made sure she mastered
her current job first. “Even if you’re not in a job you consider ideal,
do the best that you possibly can and put all of your energy into it
because it’s the next step to whatever the next bigger and better job
is,” she says.
“First, you must be willing to take on whatever gets thrown your way,”
Keith says. “When you sit down for a job interview, performance over
the long haul speaks loudest. Your track record is the first thing that
gets noticed.”
Job Expansion: Open Yourself to New Ideas and People
“Take on your job with vigor, but if you see other opportunities, jump
in and do things, get exposure, start networking. Do things that allow
you to shine, and let other people see it,” Dawn says.
If you want to strengthen your advancement potential, put yourself
out there and take some risks, Jody says. That might involve taking on
projects that seem a bit over your head. Jody did that but never shied
from asking for help — a sign of strength, she says, not weakness.
“A world of opportunities can open themselves up to you if you’re
willing to move around,” Gregg says. He advocates joining professional
associations and volunteering, either for nonprofits or for special
projects, especially ones in different areas of the company. It not only
broadens your perspective, it allows others to get to know you.
Interested in a position outside your group? Let people in that area
know. Mickey says underwriters from elsewhere in the company can
ask for guidance on a case, sit in on an underwriting class or request
job-shadowing or mentorship opportunities. “I tell people who want to
come to National Accounts that they need exposure,” she says. “I need
to see them. I need to see the kind of work they can do. I need to know
that this is the way they are every day, not just at interview time.”
Personal Development:
Make Yourself More Valuable
A college education is a minimal requirement for
many jobs, and some professional positions, such
as attorneys and accountants, require advanced
degrees and certifications. But many people say
the best education remains on-the-job.
Dawn put herself through night school to
earn a bachelor’s degree in human services.
She also was selected to participate in the
Advanced Leadership Program. Both helped her
understand people by understanding their motivations. They also
helped her understand her own strengths.
Develop those strengths, Gregg advises, rather than focusing on your
weaknesses. “When you’re good at what you do and you love it, that’s
a powerful combination,” he says. He also recommends identifying
people you admire and seeking them out as mentors so you can draw
on their experiences.
Keith encourages his staff to make personal development a priority,
and he walks the talk: He’s currently working toward an M.B.A.
at Portland State University. Whether it’s returning to school or
volunteering, that experience can be applied directly to your job.
“It gives you that extra edge, that extra drive,” Keith says. “When
things get difficult, you can draw on that experience, maintain your
focus and keep a positive attitude.” S
“Two-thirds of
promotion is
motion.”
Anonymous

6. The Standard May 2007
I
f you’re an employee of Standard Retirement Services, Inc., or
StanCorp Equities, Inc., you’ve seen this equation before. It
doesn’t add up in the strict mathematical sense, but in a figurative
sense, it’s what we’re striving for as our employees work together to
combine the business operations of Invesmart and The Standard.
The point, of course, is this: What The Standard and Invesmart
will become together is much greater than what either entity could
have achieved on its own. One way we are ensuring we realize this
outcome is through The Standard Invesmart Business Integration
Team, or SIBIT.
The SIBIT is composed of eight employees drawn from both
organizations who have worked full time since last fall on all aspects
of the integration, from business process to systems integration.
Each member acts as a liaison to one or more of the 18 “practice
teams” leading the business process integration, one or more of the
29 business integration projects and one or more of the 55 systems
project teams. In this way, they can serve as both a clearinghouse
and a conduit of information between all the teams, helping avoid
duplication of effort and ensuring that no detail slips through the
cracks.
Joel Mee, director of retirement services and SIBIT member, also
serves on the health and welfare practice team and recently came to
the SIBIT meeting with a request of his teammates. “Invesmart had
Section 125 cafeteria plans and The Standard didn’t have those,” he
said. ”As the Invesmart Web sites go away, we need to replace that
content on standard.com and the PlanNet®
sites.” So Joel spoke with
Delores Hankins and Sabin Larson, who serve on the teams that are
making Web site changes.
“That’s a very specific example — a very tiny detail,” said Joel, “but
there are 100 things like that in every single one of our weekly SIBIT
meetings. Having this central place to deal with all of the details
helps us make sure we’re not leaving anything behind.”
“We’ve found this to be a really successful model for integration,”
said Chris Raudonis, vice president of retirement plans for Standard
Retirement Services. “It’s helpful that we have a team dedicated
to the integration effort full time, but probably the most valuable
contribution of the team is their depth of knowledge and experience
with so many different aspects of the business.”
Team Brings Expertise, Cooperation
to Invesmart Integration Efforts
The Invesmart Integration Team is at the forefront of our efforts to combine the best
parts of Invesmart with the best parts of The Standard. Team members include (from
left), Scott Keswick, Delores Hankins, Joel Mee, Nicholas Lenzi, Sabin Larson and
Dana Feist. Not pictured: Alex Gonzales (San Jose) and Neil Moody (Harrisburg).

7. The Standard May 2007
Dana Feist, senior new business account manager: “I am most proud of our
team’s ability to come together as a cohesive unit so quickly. There is certainly
no “us” and “them” on our team. We have successfully made the transition to
a team of Standard Retirement Services, Inc. employees and not a group of
former Invesmart and former Standard Insurance Company employees.”
Alex Gonzales, (San Jose), manager of recordkeeping operations: “I believe
assembling individuals from both the group annuity and trust side to work
on the integration has been key. All of us bring many years of experience in
the retirement planning industry. We also come from many backgrounds and
different areas of the business. This has allowed us to work together very
closely and effectively.”
Delores Hankins, senior technical training and plan administration specialist:
“I think one of our most important roles is as a central place to discuss the
business impact of various integration projects. We update each other about
the status of each team and discuss and work to resolve issues that arise. This
aspect of facilitating communication between the business and technical sides
of the integration effort is one of our most essential functions.”
Scott Keswick: (San Jose), SIBIT team leader and retirement plans consulting
manager: “By working together and communicating well with each other, we
are able to effectively participate in both the practice teams and project teams
and coordinate the work being completed by both groups. Having expertise
from both sides of the organization in these positions gives us the opportunity
to learn from each other and make informed decisions.”
Sabin Larson, regional service team leader: “Many teams take much longer to
go through team-building stages. I think we have been very successful because
all team members are focused on the goal of integrating the two companies
and are using their energies toward the successful outcome of this project.”
Nicholas Lenzi, senior account manager: “The members of the team each
bring their own expertise and strengths to the table. This adds perspective
when brainstorming or problem-solving as a group. We work together openly
to make sure there is coordination between the different efforts and that goals
and deadlines are met.”
Joel Mee, director of retirement services: “The diverse background of the
individual members means that we always have a resource within the team
that is familiar with almost every aspect of our business. We have developed
a camaraderie that allows us to rely on each other to successfully navigate
numerous projects and a seemingly infinite amount of detail.”
Neil Moody, (Harrisburg), software test manager: “I’ve been involved in many
projects and sometimes the dynamic is such that team members don’t feel
comfortable communicating with each other. I think the fact that this team
is already cohesive has paid dividends and will pay even more dividends in
the future.”
Here’s what individual team members say about the success of the SIBIT:
Indeed, each team member brings unique expertise and
complementary skills in team management, operations,
recordkeeping and systems support, new business/implementation,
technical training, and plan administration and consulting. With
such collective depth, team members say, there is almost always
someone on the team who can answer the latest big question or
recommend a strong course of action to handle the most recent
integration challenge.
“Each individual on the team is making significant contributions,”
said John Nord, assistant vice president of retirement plans
administration in Standard Retirement Services. “I am very pleased
with the quality of work, the sense of ownership and the depth of
understanding this group has.”
As for the team, they want employees to know that they are absolutely
dedicated to making the integration process as smooth as possible
for both employees and customers. They are striving to ensure
that employees have the training and resources they need to do
their jobs most effectively. They are great resources for current
information on the integration process — and, perhaps more
importantly, they welcome suggestions and ideas for how to make
the integration more effective.
“There is a lot of work to be done,” admitted Scott Keswick, the
SIBIT team leader and retirement plans consulting manager. “But
I have a great deal of confidence in the integration team and the
many people who are working hard to make sure the integration
effort is successful.”
In the end, it is all this coordinated effort that will ensure The
Standard is the provider of choice in the retirement plans market.
And in this special circumstance, 1 plus 1 really will equal 3. S

8. Our Retirement Plans business unit is extremely busy integrating
the business processes of The Standard with the business processes
of our newest acquisition, Invesmart. Here’s a breakdown of
RP’s structural changes this year to facilitate that integration,
maintain our excellent service levels and create a more streamlined
organization.
As of Jan. 1, 2007, RP began operating in three subsidiaries of
StanCorp Financial Group:
• Standard Insurance Company (SIC) — This company is the
underwriter of our group annuity contracts. Information
technology, human resources and corporate financial services
employees formerly within Invesmart are now SIC employees.
• Standard Retirement Services (SRS) — This is a new
subsidiary created to provide administrative services and
support functions for plan sponsors and participants. Many
former Standard Insurance Company employees and former
Invesmart employees became SRS employees on Jan. 1, 2007.
• StanCorp Equities, Inc. (SEI) — This is our distribution
subsidiary that houses employees responsible for sales and
marketing activities plus advisors and employees who provide
local service to our plans. At the end of 2006, Invesmart
Securities was merged into SEI. Most former Invesmart
employees who didn’t move to SRS as well as sales and
marketing employees originally in SIC became SEI employees.
Former Invesmart employees responsible for advisor and
broker-dealer compliance became part of SEI as well.
StanCorp Investment Advisers (SIA) provides mutual fund
research and due diligence for RP clients. At the end of 2006,
Invesmart Advisors was merged with SIA. Former Invesmart
employees responsible for mutual fund research became
part of SIA. Sales and advisory personnel in SEI are also SIA
representatives.
Invesmart Integration Update
The Standard May 2007
In September, The Standard will begin administering group life and
disability for the California Teachers Association. In terms of premium,
it will be the biggest case in the company’s history. Here’s what’s been
happening recently with the preparations:
• The Transition Service Center, a CTA district microsite
on standard.com, launched to help guide CTA members
through the transition of their life/accidental death and
dismemberment and disability insurance coverage from Unum
to The Standard. Check it out at www.standard.com/cta.
• High-level architectural design (how the IT pieces fit together)
has been completed for the critical items needed by Sept. 1. A
prototype Web enrollment application also is being designed.
• We are partnering with IBM to implement Websphere
Customer Center. This is an IBM software package that
creates a single source for all customer data and includes
services that help manage that data. IBM has been working
within our Strategic Solutions Program since shortly after
the CTA project began, focusing on the technology that will
initially serve CTA but will also be usable by other business
units within the company. Websphere Customer Center, or
WCC, will be the foundation for an companywide system for
customer data.
• Staff members for the CTA team are currently being hired.
Visit the Careers site at home.standard.com/pres_staff/hr/
careers/ to check out available positions. And watch for the
June issue of The Standard magazine for more on CTA hiring.
For more information about the CTA account work, visit the
Strategic Solutions Program’s Web site on StandardNet.
California Teachers Association Update

9. The Standard May 2007
W
hat are the tax implications of using Oregon’s 529 plan to save for my kids’ college
education? Which parts of the Pension Protection Act affect me? How should I
structure my investments in the five years just before I retire?
When people have questions like this, they often turn to their significant others, their parents
or even their friends who “know the stock market.” We want them to turn to StanCorp
Investment Advisers instead because we have the expertise to answer their questions and
help them solve problems — and we provide the best customer service. Our sole purpose is
providing objective financial planning and advice to people and their families.
StanCorp Investment Advisers had a fantastic 2006. We grew substantially through
acquisitions of several investment advisory firms in Washington and California, and we also
opened a new storefront office in the Standard Plaza. This year one of our goals is to reach
out to more individual clients as well.
Because we want people to seek our guidance about financial topics that affect their lives,
we looked for ways to build our reputation and visibility. We recently began a series of
educational seminars in Portland and will expand them to our other offices in the coming
months. So far we have covered “The Pension Protection Act of 2006” and “Exploring Options
for College Funding.” Future topics may include handling an inheritance and entering the
“Red Zone”— the five years before retirement.
These seminars feature an SIA investment counselor and an outside expert, such as an estate
planning attorney or, in the case of the college funding seminar, the executive director of the
Oregon 529 College Savings Network. It’s challenging to fully explore a topic in one hour, but
these seminars can provide context, point out planning opportunities and alert attendees to
areas they may need to explore further, such as the tax implications of setting up a college
savings plan.
Our college funding seminar was held over breakfast in a hotel and attracted a diverse
audience. For about half of the attendees, it was their first exposure to StanCorp Investment
Advisers. The topic stimulated an exciting question-and-answer session, and several people
expressed interest in learning more about what we do for our private clients.
Seminars will be a big part of increasing SIA’s client base this year. Plans also call for
collecting information on a variety of financial issues and making it available to consumers
through our Web site or from our investment counselors. All these strategies will help us build
credibility for SIA as the natural choice for helping people secure their financial future. S
My Perspective
Jim Titus
Business Development Manager, StanCorp Investment Advisers
StanCorp Investment Advisers expects more growth in 2007

10. 10 The Standard May 2007
Nurse Case Managers –
Our In-House Medical Experts
Nurse case managers translate the complex medical information provided by physicians so our claim analysts can make informed decisions. The Standard’s nurse case managers
include (front, from left) Lori Sauer and Carol Short; (back, from left) Sue Sprattler, Ruth McClurg, Mary Malone and Monica Hufnagel.
Imagine submitting to your disability insurance company a claim you believed to be legitimate,
only to have the claim denied. You discover that your physician understood your medical condition
but wasn’t communicating effectively with the analyst. You’d probably be pretty frustrated.

11. The Standard May 2007 11
the physician. They help provide a complete
picture that enables us to make better
decisions and provides our customers with a
personal touch.”
Offering Personal Service to
the Customers
The personal touch NCMs provide to
customers may include helping them sort
out their medical histories, clarifying what
records the analyst has or just listening. To
the claimant, a NCM offers a calming and
personal voice.
When analyst Nick Warne spoke with a
distraught customer with a long-standing
history of depression, post-traumatic stress
disorder and other physical conditions, he
was unable to ease her despondency. He
referred her to an NCM, who spoke with
her on the phone, clarified her myriad
conditions and, more importantly, eased
her concerns about whether we understood
her condition. When Nick spoke with the
customer a second time, she again cried
— but this time it was because the NCM had
worked so hard to understand her complex
medical problems and had cared enough to
speak with her when she was so depressed
and expressing a desire to end her life.
Doing What Matters
You won’t see them walking the halls in
scrubs or pulling out stethoscopes for a quick
examination. But the extensive nursing
training and experience of The Standard’s
nurse case managers provide the company
with the same commitment, compassion
and expertise you’d expect from a nurse in a
hospital or doctor’s office.
Mary Malone sums up the role of NCMs at
The Standard: “By providing accurate and
timely service to our internal customers, they
in turn are able to provide quality service to
our external customers.”
Our company and customers benefit from our
NCMs every day, but May is National Nurses
Month, making it a perfect time to celebrate
and appreciate the dedicated nurse case
managers who help ensure we continue to do
what matters, acting in the best interests of
our customers. (Treats, thank-you e-mails and
smiles are all appreciated.) S
T
his was an actual situation in which
Mary Malone, one of our nurse case
managers, recently found herself.
When Mary called the customer, she learned
more about her condition and discovered
that the physician’s office had not sent the
analyst complete medical records. Mary
obtained more details, and the analyst was
then able to make a more informed decision
— this time, in favor of the customer.
The 35 nurse case managers at The Standard
are our in-house medical experts, bringing
to their positions an average of 20 years of
clinical nursing experience. Consulting on
disability, life and waiver of premium claims,
they interact closely with claim analysts,
clients and physicians to ensure the correct
claim decisions are made.
Bringing Medical Expertise to
the Analysts
Ask any claim analyst and they’ll tell you
nurse case managers help them do their
jobs more effectively and efficiently. NCMs
translate the complex medical information
provided by physicians so our analysts can
make informed decisions. “My job is to be
clear, concise and non-biased,” says NCM
Ruth McClurg.
Nurse case managers consult on a great
variety of conditions (from bunions to
heart conditions to blood disorders) and a
wide range of treatments (including state-
of-the-art, experimental and alternative
treatments). With the insight and clarity
brought by the NCMs, claim analysts are able
to better understand a customer’s medical
condition, as well as their prognosis and
limitations. As Carol Buschke, supervisor
of disability benefits, explains, “We all gain
insights when our NCMs review a claim,
contact the claimant and make contact with
May is
National
Nurses
Month

12. 12 The Standard May 2007
I
n early March, a construction mishap
left the Standard Plaza without water for
about a half hour. A minor event, to be
sure. But it was also a reminder that it doesn’t
take much to disrupt business.
According to Marilyn Nikolas, director
of business continuity, even something as
simple as a water outage — if it were to
continue for more than a few hours — could
make any of The Standard’s buildings
uninhabitable. Employees might have to
be relocated, computer programs and files
might need to be made available offsite and
phone systems might need to be rerouted.
If a water shutoff could cause that much
disruption, imagine the impact of a fire,
earthquake or other disaster on our day-to-
day business. These are realistic concerns:
downtown Portland — the location of our
three main home office buildings — is an
active earthquake zone. In addition, the three
buildings, which are within a three-square-
block area, are all on the same power grid,
and that area currently is at the heart of a
two-year, large-scale construction project to
expand the city’s light-rail system.
Those “what ifs” are precisely what Marilyn
and members of The Standard’s PROTECT
(Preparing Resilient Operations Today
to Endure the Crisis Tomorrow) Business
Continuity Planning team have been
assessing over the past several years. Working
with representatives from all of our business
units, they’re proactively planning for almost
any kind of crisis imaginable, instead of
waiting until a crisis hits.
“Solid business continuity plans reduce
the chaos and the stress employees might
face in an emergency,” Marilyn explained.
“Everyone will know where to go and how to
keep their departments running. This kind
of planning ensures that we’ll be there for
our customers during an emergency. It also
keeps our corporate costs down because we
won’t be scrambling for solutions — and
paying premium prices for them — during
a crisis.”
Each business unit soon will be creating
their own business continuity plan, if they
don’t already have one. Later this month,
the planning will go beyond simply being
words on paper: Groups of employees will
spend five days testing remote access of our
computer systems from our disaster-recovery
facility in the Tanasbourne area, 11 miles
west of downtown Portland.
The facility is little more than a warehouse
full of tables, chairs and computers, but
it will serve the purpose if one of our
downtown buildings becomes uninhabitable,
said Stan Sutton, IT disaster recovery
manager. Space at the Tanasbourne Home
Office also would be used to relocate people
in case of a disaster, he added.
Construction of a new light-rail line through downtown
Portland could conceivably affect The Standard’s
business if an accident were to occur. The line in this
photo runs adjacent to all three of our downtown offices.
Resilience in the Face of a Crisis
Business Continuity Team plans for the unexpected
in order to protect our customers

13. The Standard May 2007 13
Since the 1980s, financial institutions have been required by the U.S.
Treasury Department to prove they could access emergency copies of
their top-priority computer systems from a remote location during a
crisis. That’s important, but it’s really the bare minimum we should
be doing, Stan said, adding that we need to be able to be more
resilient in the face of a crisis. Financial services customers also are
becoming more interested in knowing that plans are in place to keep
the business up and running after a disaster.
“During this month’s remote recovery test at Tanasbourne, we’re
inviting key business groups to come out and validate that their
applications are working the way they’re supposed to work, and that
we’ve truly recovered the systems that are crucial to their work,”
Stan said.
After the initial test, Marilyn’s team will invite different business
teams to the facility to practice working from there, simulating a
crisis and determining whether there are any holes in their business
continuity plans.
“Events like Hurricane Katrina have shown us that it’s important
to physically rehearse our emergency plans,” explained Marilyn.
“Employees need to drive to the backup location, sit in the chairs
and actually try to do their jobs. If a company doesn’t rehearse its
plans in that kind of detail, research indicates that workers may not
show up for work. We want to make sure our employees are totally
comfortable with their roles in a crisis.”
Each of our business units has a business continuity plan manager
who will soon be able to tell you whether your department is
scheduled for an offsite test this year. In the meantime, a simple
but critical thing you can do is to keep your emergency contact
information updated through your department’s business continuity
plan manager. Make sure your plan manager has your home
phone, cell phone, pager number and any other pertinent contact
information.
And don’t forget: Even more important than having a continuity plan
for work is having an emergency plan for yourself and your family.
For information on how to prepare for a natural disaster or other
event, visit home.standard.com/business/continuity. S
Emergency Contact System
Debuting Later this Year
Imagine that an overnight fire has destroyed your
office area. Early the next morning, your home
phone rings. You’re in the shower and don’t hear
it. A few minutes later, your cell phone rings. This
time you’re able to answer, so you pick up
the phone.
It’s The Standard’s new automatic notification
system. After you identify yourself, a voice response
unit gives you a series of prompts to follow. You
hear a message that a fire has occurred, that
emergency personnel are at the building and that
your department has been relocated to a temporary
office. You’re also given instructions on how to get in
touch with your manager. Pretty slick, right?
Later this year, this automatic communications
system will become a reality. Instead of activating
a manual “calling tree” (during which assigned
employees call other workers to share emergency
instructions), a computer system will track down
employees and pass on important news.
“In case of a disaster that might have affected
employees at their homes, like a large-scale
earthquake, there would also be an interactive
element,” explained Marilyn Nikolas, director of
business continuity. “You would be asked to press 1,
for instance, if you’re able to report to work the next
day or 2 if your family’s safety requires that you
miss work.”
Within a very short time, business continuity plan
representatives would be able to report to the
management committee exactly how many employees
had been reached by phone during the disaster and
how many were available to come in to work. “It’s an
excellent tool that very quickly gives us a snapshot
of our people resources and helps us decide how to
proceed,” Marilyn said.
Within the next several months, your department’s
business continuity plan representative will ask you to
update your contact information. “We hope employees
will do so promptly. That information is important, and
it could help us keep you safe during an emergency,”
she said.
“Events like Hurricane Katrina have
shown us that it’s important to physically
rehearse our emergency plans.”
Marilyn Nikolas
director of business continuity

14. 14 The Standard May 2007
Part one of a two-part story on The Standard’s
New York business
S
ometimes everything just comes
together. The moon lines up exactly
between the Earth and sun, and
viewers are treated to a total eclipse. A
baseball pitcher’s curve, slider and fastball
can’t miss, and he throws a no-hitter. Carbon
atoms combine with extreme pressure and
precise temperature, and a diamond is born.
For The Standard Life Insurance Company
of New York (SNY), everything came
together in 2006, resulting in the StanCorp
Financial Group subsidiary’s best year since
its inception five years earlier.
“It’s typically difficult to have a year when
profits, growth, sales, in-force premium,
persistency and everything else not only
improve but exceed your goals,” said
Neal King, SNY’s vice president and chief
operating officer. “But 2006 was one of those
years. It was by far the best year that we’ve
ever had.”
The New York marketplace doesn’t make
that accomplishment easy. The Standard is a
relative newcomer there, and it takes time for
a company to “mature” in one of the world’s
largest business centers. New York also stands
alone where state regulations are concerned
— their notoriously complex parameters are
different from every other state, and like
The Standard, many companies form
separate subsidiaries to make it easier to do
business there.
Even with these challenges, said Mike
Appaneal, Northeast regional sales vice
president, The Standard’s opportunities in
New York are nearly endless.
“There is a great deal of untapped potential
in New York where we can achieve rapid
growth as a company for the next 10 years,”
Mike said. “As we build our brand, the
Manhattan Employee Benefits Sales and
Service Office should become our top office
in the Northeast, if not the entire company.”
Doing things differently and
gaining name recognition
Doing business in New York depends to a
large degree on building and nurturing
long-term relationships. Neal said it can take
three or four years for relationships with
brokers to gel before a salesperson is able to
write more business with them.
To attract business, The Standard invites
key brokers to dinners, sporting events
and lunch-and-learn seminars, said Nils
Hedengren, employee benefits manager in
the Manhattan EBSSO. Other tactics include
New York State of Mind
Despite the challenges of doing business in the Empire State, The Standard
Life Insurance Company of New York posted its best year ever in 2006

15. The Standard May 2007 15
hiring baristas to go into a brokerage firm
and serve coffee, he said.
“We’re one of the newer carriers in our
market, and we have less name recognition
so we have to fight the perception that we
can’t compete against larger companies
like Unum, Prudential and Hartford,” Nils
said. “Unique events like these create a buzz
within a brokerage firm and often will cause
an increase in quote activity. That gives the
sales representative the opportunity to show
what they and The Standard can bring to the
table.”
Established relationships weren’t the only
thing that bolstered SNY’s numbers in 2006.
The block of business we purchased from
TIAA in 2002 provides a significant portion
of SNY’s income, and as that block matures,
renewals have been increasing, Neal said.
In addition, every sales position in the New
York territory was filled last year, and the
salespeople were writing and closing more
proposals.
Field offices in other states also contribute to
SNY’s bottom line. More than two-thirds of
our offices have sold business to customers
who have employees residing in New York,
primarily to meet the state’s statutory
requirements. In most years, a majority
of sales come from the Manhattan and
Rochester offices, but in 2006 significant sales
resulted from the Hartford, Conn., and New
Jersey EBSSOs.
Another advantage SNY offers is a claims
office in White Plains, N.Y., and underwriting
based in South Portland, just a few hundred
miles away. “We talk about our local
claims operation on a daily basis, and we’re
scheduling several broker trips this year to see
our claims team in action,” Nils said.
Back Cover
This ad is part of our sponsorship of the 2007 Black-n-Blue Ball, a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Southeast
Wisconsin. The Standard co-sponsors this event with Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson, which is one of our customers and a primary
sponsor of the event. The ball, at which attendees wear black leather and blue denim, raised more than $500,000 for the MDA last year. This
year’s event was May 4.
Lessons for the future
When the New York operation began, it was
viewed as similar to a field office, said Donna
Wieland, SNY project manager in South
Portland’s Eastern Region Operations office.
Many employees may not realize that it’s
actually an entirely separate business from
Standard Insurance Company, with separate
sales goals, its own financials and even some
products that none of The Standard’s other
offices sell.
One of those products, known as DBL, is a
type of short term disability coverage that’s
mandated by the state for employers with
one or more employees. In the past, we’ve
only offered it packaged with long term
disability coverage, but a project to offer it
separately is one of three SNY new business
initiatives for 2007.
SNY’s importance to The Standard’s overall
operations can be gauged in part by the
way the company views those three projects.
Approximately 2,000 of the 13,000 IT hours
dedicated to the Insurance Services Group
this year are for SNY’s top three projects,
Neal said.
The lessons we’ve learned from doing
business in New York may come in handy
down the road, Donna said. “Opening
a company in New York is similar to
expanding internationally,” she said. “The
laws, market and distribution channels
are different. We didn’t understand how
different it was at first, but now we have
tools, people and relationships that are
overcoming those issues.” S

16. Everyone takes their own path through life. For those who
need help along the way, organizations like the Muscular
Dystrophy Association are essential. That’s why Standard
Insurance Company is proud to join Harley-Davidson as a
sponsor of the MDA’s Black-n-Blue Ball.
INSURANCE
RETIREMENT
INVESTMENTS ADVICE
The Standard is a marketing name for StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. and subsidiaries. Insurance products are offered by Standard Insurance Company of Portland, Ore. in all states except New York, where insurance products are
offered byThe Standard Life Insurance Company of NewYork ofWhite Plains,N.Y.Investment services are offered through StanCorp InvestmentAdvisers of Portland,Ore.Product features and availability vary by state and company.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS LIFE DISABILITY DENTAL RETIREMENT STANDARD.COM
Scott Bachhuber
Standard Insurance Company
300 N Corporate Drive Suite 320
Brookfield WI 53045
888.548.8310