Calvert Investments has bolstered its sales and marketing force with the hiring of Lynne Ford. The former ING executive VP and CEO of individual retirement will serve as executive VP and head of distribution at the socially-responsible investment specialist, [press release].

Her responsibilities will include carrying out the firm's plans to grow its institutional and retail businesses, developing relationships, channels and platforms, and expanding separate account client initiatives.

She will also be taking over the duties of Craig Cloyd, who had been president of Calvert Distributors until his retirement last March, confirmed spokeswoman Elizabeth La Vaca.

Ford's new role with the company represents an integration of the leadership of several different departments, including public relations and communications, and branding.

Prior to Calvert and ING, Ford served as executive VP of retail retirement for Wells Fargo, leading the annuity and IRA businesses. She was also a senior VP and managing director for Evergreen Investments.

"Unfortunately we're at a very low point of investor confidence industrywide, and sustaining a successful investment approach in that environment is very important," Ford said, highlighting SRI as an important strategy for the company. "The unique value proposition of SRI allows us to position ourselves as a confidence booster for investors, to rekindle and engender trust, and it connects with people's values in a time when some of those things have been called into question."

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COMPANY RELEASE

Lynne Ford Tapped to Head Calvert Investments Distribution and Marketing

Industry Veteran Brings 20-Plus Years’ Experience

Calvert Investments, a globally recognized leader in sustainable and responsible investing, announced today that Lynne Ford has been named to the newly created position of Executive Vice President and Head of Distribution. Ms. Ford will lead a team that includes retail sales, institutional sales, marketing, and public relations and will be a member of Calvert’s Management Committee.

"Lynne's experience leading and developing teams focused on growth and driving sales combined with her expertise in retirement and helping Americans identify ways to successfully plan for and live in retirement will be a tremendous asset to us as we continue to focus on growing our presence in the marketplace," said Barbara J. Krumsiek, Calvert's President and CEO. "In her new role, she will expose Calvert to a market that increasingly recognizes the need to provide investors with sustainable and responsible investment options."

The addition of Ms. Ford underscores the firm's plan to grow both the institutional and retail aspects of its business by identifying and adding new relationships, channels and platforms as well as expanding separate account client initiatives and capitalizing on existing relationships with major consultants.

"I am excited to join Calvert to help advance the strategic vision of the company. Calvert has a thirty-year legacy of being a leader and innovator in the growing SRI space." said Ms. Ford. "The financial services industry is at an historic juncture. Companies that can truly innovate and provide customer-oriented solutions will be the ones that thrive in this new environment," she added.

Ms. Ford has more than 20 years of experience in investment sales and marketing. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Individual Retirement at ING US. Before that, Ms. Ford spent nineteen years at Wachovia, which merged with Wells Fargo in late 2008, serving in a number of executive capacities within its investment and distribution organizations. As Executive Vice President, Retail Retirement, she led both the annuity and IRA businesses and prior to that, spent 10 years as Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Evergreen Investments.

Ms. Ford currently serves as the Chairman of the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) and serves on the National Board of Junior Achievement USA. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College and a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. She will be relocating with her family from New York City to Bethesda, MD.

The executive search firm, Wilbanks Partners, LLC, based in Stamford, CT, aided Calvert in this search.

About Calvert

A leader in Sustainable and Responsible Investments (SRI), Calvert Investments offers investors among the widest choice of SRI strategies of any investment management company in the United States. Each SRI strategy employs one of three proprietary approaches. Calvert Signature Strategies® integrate two distinct research frameworks: a rigorous review of financial performance plus a thorough assessment of environmental, social, and governance performance. Only when a company meets Calvert standards for both frameworks will Calvert consider investing.

Calvert Solution Strategies® selectively invest in companies that produce products and services designed to solve some of today's most pressing sustainability challenges. Calvert SAGE Strategies™ emphasize strategic engagement to advance environmental, social, and governance performance in companies that may not meet Calvert standards today, but have the potential to improve. More information on Calvert SRI strategies is available at http://www.Calvert.com/SRI.

Calvert Investment Management, Inc., 4550 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 1000N, Bethesda, MD 20814. 

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