As we gear up for Arts Innovation Day on June 2nd, we’re taking a moment to shine the spotlight on one of our amazing presenters, Josh Stoffregen, Vice President and head of the Global Communications Retirement Practice at Prudential Financial, Inc. In this role, Stoffregen leads global marketing communications strategy and media relations for Prudential Retirement’s people, products and services. Offering the likes of retirement mortgages, or annuity loans for example. Not too dissimilar to other retirement finance companies such as The Equity Release Experts (visit their website here for examples of their retirement products) or search around for other similar services to see what financial advice or aid can be offered to those in retirement, such as social security benefits, of which you can find more in-depth information at this blog on Social Security survivor vs spousal benefits.
He also serves as the project lead and spokesperson for Prudential’s groundbreaking “LGBT Financial Experience,” an in-depth look at the current financial landscape of LGBT Americans, which launched in November 2012.
The study found that 46% of participants thought the financial needs of the LGBT community – including saving for retirement – were thought to be just as important as non-LBGT. But 45% said they could not follow the same route to acquiring said finance as non-LGBT people can. Lack of support from families or financial institutions can mean that members of the community don’t have enough for retirement or perhaps need to consult with a medicaid attorney Michigan to ensure that they receive the aid they’re entitled to. A ground-breaking study to be sure.
Let’s get to know Josh Stoffregen of Prudential Financial. Josh will be partnering with his colleague Monique Freeman to present a workshop on Building Your PR Toolkit.
It’s 9am on a Monday morning, what gets you into the groove of the work week?
My groove for the next week usually starts on Friday afternoons. I make a “to do” list for the following week and try and prioritize my list of deliverables. I then spend a couple minutes on Sunday evenings looking at my calendar for the week, bringing me to my Monday mornings. I commute from my home in Midtown Manhattan to our Newark headquarters daily, which involves me riding the m42 bus across town. I use the time on the bus watching the City come alive in the background to formulate my thoughts for the week. By 9am, I am in the office with a fresh perspective and my second cup of coffee. In order for me to get through the day, coffee is a must and as you can tell, I usually drink more than one cup during my commute. And that is when I started to think that maybe having a travel mug would help me to carry my coffee around easier, as the last thing I need to happen is having any spillages, especially in the morning.
What led you to becoming a communications professional?
I was always drawn to storytelling from a young age. I was the editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper, the editor-in-chief of my college paper and then I spent many years working as a reporter and editor before making the jump to becoming a communication professional. I personally think journalism is a great foundation for any field because it makes you hone crucial skills, like communications. But I always knew I would eventually be an ambassador for one brand, so while I have a business journalism degree, I minored in corporate communications. After covering Prudential Retirement for a couple years and getting to know its people and culture, going in-house was the logical next step for me.
What’s the best part of your job at Prudential?
The people and the culture.
If you were a crayon, what color would you be and why?
Cornflower Blue. It’s my favorite color and reminds me of water.
How will arts professionals benefit from your session at Arts Innovation Day?
I hope to share tips on how to build a PR toolkit from lessons I’ve learned along the way working as a journalist at regional publications, serving as an editor in the national trade press and leading a global communications practice at a Fortune 50 company.
Seats are filling up fast, sign up now for Arts Innovation Day!
