MetLife Named a Top 30 Company for Executive Women; National Association for Female Executives Names Largest U.S. Life Insurer to Prestigious List

Business Wire, March 8, 2006

NEW YORK -- MetLife's ongoing commitment to advancing diversity in its business practices and company culture have once again been recognized as the largest U.S. life insurer was named to the National Association for Female Executives' (NAFE) annual list of Top 30 Companies for Executive Women.

With more than half of its U.S. workforce consisting of women, MetLife was recognized by NAFE for its innovative ways of developing and advancing talented women. In addition to the representation of women on MetLife's board of directors, NAFE also examined the number of women in the company overall, in senior management and also scrutinized how well women were represented among MetLife's top earners.

"Receiving this acknowledgement from NAFE is another recognition that we are committed and making progress in advancing diversity at MetLife," said Debra J. Capolarello, senior vice president and chief talent officer for MetLife. "Being chosen for NAFE's Top 30 truly is a reflection of MetLife's commitment to providing women, and all of our associates, with the resources and experiences they need to succeed at every level. By continuing to find ways that we can make diversity a key priority at MetLife, we are reinforcing one of our core values - people count."

"We are extremely pleased to welcome MetLife to our list of the Top 30," said Dr. Betty Spence, president of NAFE. "As one of NAFE's Top 30 companies, MetLife stands out both as a model of excellence when it comes to the advancement of women as well as a great place to work. Their commitment to diversity and helping women executives advance in their careers is remarkable."

2006 marks the first year that MetLife appears on NAFE's Top 30 list. In September 2005, the company was named to Working Mother Magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers for the seventh consecutive year.

To be named to the NAFE Top 30 Companies for Executive Women, companies with a minimum of two women on the board completed a comprehensive application that focused on the number of women in senior ranks (compared to men and to the company population), including questions about the programs and policies which support women's advancement.

The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), founded in 1972, is the largest women's professional and business association in the country. It publishes NAFE Magazine, a bi-monthly publication distributed to 65,000 members. NAFE began conducting the Top 30 Companies for Executive Women in 2002, picking up the work of Working Woman magazine. NAFE is part of Working Mother Media, which also operates Working Mother magazine, the annual 100 Best WorkLife Conference, and recently launched the new initiative the Best Companies for Women of Color.

MetLife, a subsidiary of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), is a leading provider of insurance and other financial services to millions of individual and institutional customers throughout the United States. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife, Inc. offers life insurance, annuities, automobile and homeowner's insurance and retail banking services to individuals, as well as group insurance, reinsurance and retirement and savings products and services to corporations and other institutions. Outside the U.S., the MetLife companies have direct insurance operations in Asia Pacific, Latin America and Europe. For more information, please visit www.metlife.com.