Prudential’s Sharon Taylor receives top honor from the National Academy of Human Resources

Sharon Taylor, senior vice president of Human Resources at Prudential Financial, was recently named a Fellow by the National Academy of Human Resources, the most prestigious honor in the field of human resources.

Taylor was recognized for the leadership roles she has held throughout her Prudential career, for her active participation in numerous human resources associations and for her passion for community service.

"I’m deeply honored and humbled to be recognized by my peers in the HR profession,” said Taylor, one of six executives recognized by the Academy. "At the same time, I know I wouldn’t be here without the expertise and contributions of my HR colleagues at Prudential. They share a deep commitment to quality, service and innovation, and I’m proud of our collective accomplishments.”

Taylor started working at Prudential 34 years ago as a management trainee and progressed through a series of increasingly demanding business and functional HR positions, culminating in her promotion to senior vice president in 2002.

Since that time, she and her leadership team have implemented numerous enhancements to align Prudential’s people strategy with its business priorities, including the launch of a global talent and succession platform, a refreshed recruiting brand, and a total rewards approach that contains elements of compensation, benefits, learning and development and employee wellness.

Taylor’s dedication to the HR profession extends beyond Prudential. She is a member of several HR roundtables and serves on the board of the HR Policy Association. She is also a member of the Human Capital Institute, a global association for talent management.

Throughout her career, Taylor has been a champion of diversity and embodies Prudential’s commitment to fostering an inclusive work environment where everyone has the chance to prosper. As the highest-ranking African-American woman within the firm, she is passionate about creating opportunities for both women and people of color.

This passion for helping others is evident in her personal life as well. Through her affiliation with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Taylor sponsors and mentors participants in the Foundation’s intern program. She also sits on the Executive Committee of the Newark Regional Business Partnership and is a member of the Newark Alliance. Both organizations are not-for-profits aimed at supporting business advocacy and redevelopment activities in Newark.

"By election to the Academy, the members of the 2010 Class of Fellows have been acknowledged by their peers as reaching the very highest level of achievement in the human resources profession,” said Mirian Graddick-Weir, the Academy’s chair and executive vice president of Human Resources at Merck & Co.

"Each of these professionals has made sustained and exemplary contributions to the broad field of human resources. These new Academy Fellows have played a substantial role in shaping human resources management thinking and policy,” Graddick-Weir added.

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader with approximately $750 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2010, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit http://www.news.prudential.com/.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6528123&lang=en