Prudential's Southern Star Agency, Led by Managing Director Andy Gent

    Business Editors

    NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 2, 2005--Prudential's Southern Star Agency, located in Atlanta, has won the President's Trophy Award, the most prestigious honor that can be won by a Prudential agency, it was announced today by Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU).
    "Congratulations to the Southern Star Agency for winning the President's Trophy Award. This distinguished award reflects extraordinary performance, knowledge and a continued commitment to excellence," said John Greene, president of Agency Distribution at Prudential.
    Andy Gentile, managing director of the Southern Star agency, which is located at 3500 Lenox Road NE, Suite 1200, said, "We are delighted to win the President's Trophy Award. We've sprinted to first place by our determination and a lot of hard work. However, we understand that focusing on our long-range goals is a marathon - not a sprint."
    Gentile has earned the CFP (Certified Financial Planner), CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter), ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant), CLTC (Certified in Long Term Care), and CLF (Chartered Leadership Fellow) industry designations. He is a resident of Duluth, Georgia.
    President's Trophy Awards also were awarded to the leading agent - Sol Hicks of the Southern Star Agency; the leading field supervisor - Peter Monferdini of the Greater Illinois Agency in Champaign, Illinois; and the leading manager, financial services - Eric Porter of the Greater Orange Coast Agency in Irvine, California. The Trophy Awards were presented at Prudential's annual President's Conference black tie awards banquet, held this year in Dana Point, California.

    Prudential Financial companies, with approximately $500 billion in total assets under management as of December 31, 2004, serve individual and institutional customers worldwide and include The Prudential Insurance Company of America, one of the largest life insurance companies in the United States. These companies offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, mutual funds, annuities, pension and retirement related services and administration, asset management, securities brokerage, banking and trust services, real estate brokerage franchises and relocation services. For more information, visit www.prudential.com

--30--NM/ny*

CONTACT: Prudential Financial, Inc. Cynthia Ford, 973-802-3115 cynthia.ford@prudential.com

KEYWORD: NEW JERSEY INDUSTRY KEYWORD: INSURANCE BANKING MANAGEMENT CHANGES SOURCE: Prudential Financial, Inc.

Copyright Business Wire 2005