March 16, 2004 Vivian Banta SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) – The Sigmund Weis School of Business at Susquehanna University will present the annual Sigmund Weis Memorial Lecture at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 29, in Stretansky Concert Hall of the Center for Music and Art. This year’s featured speaker will be Vivian Banta, vice chair of insurance for Prudential Financial. Her lecture is titled “Climbing the Corporate Ladder...Lessons Learned.” Fortune magazine ranks Banta as the 27th most powerful woman in business today. As vice chair of Prudential’s insurance division, Banta is responsible for individual life insurance, annuities, group insurance, and property and casualty insurance issued by the company. She also oversees agency distribution, Prudential’s real estate and relocation services, and the e-business development group. In addition to these responsibilities, Banta is a member of Prudential’s Office of the Chairman, which is charged with the consistent, common execution of the company’s global strategy to “Grow and Protect” clients’ wealth. Banta joined Prudential in 1998 as chief administrative officer of Individual Financial Services. In March 2000, she was appointed chief executive officer of the U.S. Consumer Group and executive vice president of Prudential Financial. She assumed her current position in August of 2002. Before joining Prudential, Banta was an executive vice president in charge of Global Investor Services at The Chase Manhattan Corporation and its principal subsidiary, The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. In this capacity, she grew revenue five fold and assets under administration to over $3.5 trillion. Born and raised overseas, Banta lived in Lebanon, Iraq and Libya. She attended Marymount International School in Rome, Italy, and upon graduating went to the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif. The Sigmund Weis Memorial lecture is sponsored, in part, by funds from The Weis Lecture endowment, which is responsible for bringing prominent business leaders and public figures to campus. The endowment was established in 1979 by Claire G. Weis in memory of her husband, namesake to the Sigmund Weis School of Business. For more information, call the office of James Brock, dean of the Sigmund Weis School of Business, at 570-372-4454. EDITORIAL NOTE: A limited amount of time has been reserved for media interviews with Vivian Banta in advance of the evening lecture. Interviews will be granted on a first come, first serve basis. A photo opportunity prior to the lecture will also be made possible for interested media. For more information, please contact Victoria Kidd, news services manager, at 570-372-4119 or kidd@susqu.edu. Contact: Victoria Kidd 570-372-4119 #vk/2260#