2020 CEO Message

April 1, 2020

Horace Mann Cares. It’s more than the title of our 2018-2019 corporate social responsibility report. Those three words sum up who we are, what we do and why we do it.

Horace Mann was founded in 1945 when two educators began offering special auto insurance rates to fellow teachers in Springfield, Illinois. Our company was built on a promise to serve educators, who shape the lives of students in schools all over the country. At Horace Mann, we care about the lifelong financial well-being of educators and their families, offering solutions and resources to help them through each stage of their lives. Staying true to this mission has helped us to become the largest multiline insurance and financial services company serving the educational community.

Our dedication to helping educators at each stage of their careers makes Horace Mann unique and enables us to deliver long-term value to shareholders. It also empowers us to invest in our employees, support our communities and deepen our commitment to educators.

I wholeheartedly agree with the Business Roundtable’s statement on the purpose of a corporation, which outlines its responsibilities to shareholders, customers, employees, communities and suppliers. Those who claim businesses exist solely to benefit shareholders have likely never taught in a classroom with 30 kids, where you need to balance their (sometimes conflicting) needs while acknowledging the importance of each and every student. Similarly, Horace Mann works to balance its decisions and actions to benefit all stakeholders and achieve corporate social responsibility objectives.

Horace Mann’s corporate social responsibility reports provide insights about how we do our best to make good business and ESG decisions, while considering how these choices will impact educators and our other important stakeholders. It supplements Horace Mann’s financial disclosures by providing a deeper look into who we are and how we act as a good corporate citizen when it comes to the environment, social responsibility and governance (ESG). Horace Mann positively impacts millions of individuals and local communities through its direct and indirect economic activities. We understand our responsibility to be a good corporate citizen and are proud of the steps we’ve taken to incorporate ESG factors into our business — and to tell that story in a holistic way.

Horace Mann published its first corporate social responsibility report in 2016. Every year, we’ve taken the concept further and deeper. In 2018, we completed our first formal stakeholder engagement. Using interviews, surveys and other research, we identified the areas of greatest importance to these stakeholders. We discussed ESG topics with investors who represent more than 32% of outstanding shares — and also talked with potential investors. We’ve learned a tremendous amount, and we’re building on these insights.

For example, in November 2018, I joined hundreds of CEOs across the country who signed a CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion^™ pledge to work toward four diversity and inclusion goals. This pledge is a formal statement of Horace Mann’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, which is demonstrated in part by our strong gender diversity metrics. I firmly believe that Horace Mann’s commitment to offering an inclusive work environment — one where diversity of thought is highly valued, and individual differences are recognized, respected and appreciated — is an important factor in our company’s success.

I hope our report will give you new insights on Horace Mann’s commitment to corporate social responsibility. We look forward to continuing our transparent dialogue with investors, customers, employees and other stakeholders to help you understand our decision-making and actions to create value as a socially responsible company. We welcome your feedback on our initiatives at csr@horacemann.com. Tell us what’s on your mind, and how Horace Mann can best make a difference in the world around us.