Broker World

Legal & General America (LGA) announced the appointment of James Galli to executive vice president, business strategy and innovation. Galli will be responsible for creating new capabilities to support organizational growth and financial returns.

Collaborating with L&G Group, Legal & General Investment Management America (LGIMA), and Legal & General Retirement America (LGRA) colleagues, Galli will lead the LGA team to identify and develop strategies to expand LGA’s portfolio of products, broaden its distribution channels, and drive transformation that differentiates LGA in existing and new markets. He will report to Gene R.Gilbertson, LGA’s president and CEO.

Galli will be a director on the boards of Banner Life Insurance Company and William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York.

“Jim Galli’s background is a remarkable fit for this leadership role at Legal & General America,” said Gene R. Gilbertson, president and CEO.  “He is a highly qualified executive with significant experience in sales, marketing, product development, and operational platforms. We’re looking forward to working wiath him to identify and frame strategic issues and growth opportunities. I am confident he will quickly earn the respect of LGA’s employees and distribution partners.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to be joining Legal & General America and working with the LGA team, said Galli. “I’m eager to share my experience across products, marketing and distribution channels to help position LGA for further innovation and growth. I look forward to building upon LGA’s market-leading position and strong history of bringing valuable and relevant protection products to American families.”

Galli brings with him an extensive background of over 30 years in the domestic and international life insurance industry. His experience includes over 12 years with MassMutual serving in various executive roles within the life, annuity and disability areas followed by nearly 11 years with AIG where he held a series of progressively responsible positions both within the US and abroad focusing on new business development, strategic marketing and product management.

Galli joined MetLife in 2011 where he was responsible for establishing best practice strategies within the International business lines. In 2012, he was asked to create and lead the US Sponsored Direct business which centered on meeting the protection needs of the middle market. Since 2015, he has been serving as senior vice president, Innovation and Partnerships within MetLife Direct where he was responsible for managing B2B distribution and third party marketing partnerships, executing customer cross sell strategies and launching an innovation lab established to “incubate” new products, technologies, channels and partnerships.

First Protective Insurance Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Protective Life Corporation, today announced its purchase of the assets of The MacNamee Group, a West Chester, Pennsylvania-based brokerage agency founded in 1982 that specializes in life insurance, long term care and annuities. 

The purchase will allow The MacNamee Group’s producers to access a broader range of risk management product lines and leverage expanded sales, technology and marketing resources through First Protective.  

“We are excited about bringing these two organizations together, and look forward to serving the financial services community and the community at large in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We have deep respect for The MacNamee Group’s 34-year history and look forward to building on that legacy,” stated Andy Martin, CLU, ChFC, president of First Protective. 

“We are delighted about the opportunity to join forces with First Protective,” said Steve MacNamee, president of The MacNamee Group. “We conducted an extensive search looking for an opportunity like this and First Protective exceeded our hopes for a firm to combine with that will continue the tradition we have for excellent service, deep expertise, and an environment that we want to be a part of. We like to think of it as the ‘City of Brotherly Love meets Southern Hospitality.’”

First Protective, a subsidiary of Protective Life Corporation, serves insurance and financial services professionals across the United States. Originally founded in 1983 as a life insurance distribution company, First Protective is a full-service financial services marketing organization providing life insurance, annuities and asset-based LTC solutions, as well as disability and long term care insurance. First Protective is headquartered in Birmingham, AL, with regional offices in Mobile and Huntsville, AL, Baton Rouge, LA, Chattanooga, TN, Greenville, SC, Nashville, TN, and Milwaukee, WI.

For more information about First Protective, visit www.firstprotective.com. 

Protective Life Corporation provides financial services through the production, distribution and administration of insurance and investment products throughout the U.S. The flagship subsidiary, Protective Life Insurance Company, was founded in 1907. Protective’s home office is located in Birmingham, Alabama. As of December 31, 2015 the Company had assets of approximately $68.5 billion. For more information on Protective Life, please visit www.protective.com.

The Inter-Company Marketing Group (ICMG), a non-profit association that fosters business networking opportunities among insurance and financial services companies, raised $17,500 in support of The First Tee of Phoenix during its Annual Charity Golf Tournament at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, AZ.

The record-breaking donation—surpassing the previous record set last year by $2,000—will benefit The First Tee of Phoenix. The money was raised through tournament fees, sponsorships, mulligan sales, cash donations, and a silent auction. The tournament was held in conjunction with ICMG’s Annual Conference on February 3, 2016. 

Sponsors of the tournament included the following companies: Agent Pipeline, Inc.; American National Insurance Company; AmeriLife Group; Ameritas; Empower Brokerage, Inc.; Gallagher–National Administration Company, Inc.; Genius Avenue; GeoBlue; Illinois Mutual Life Insurance Company; Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company; Kemper-Reserve National Insurance Company; Medico; Pinnacle Benefits Group; Senior Market Sales; Senior Security Benefits, Inc.; United Commercial Travelers; US Health Group; VelaPoint; and Washington National.

An international youth development organization dedicated to impacting the lives of young people through golf, The First Tee will use the donation to fund its character-building educational programs. The First Tee bases its programs on nine core values, which were established and incorporated to represent the positive values connected with the game of golf: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment. Since its inception in 1997, The First Tee has introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 10.5 million young people in all 50 United States and four international locations.

ICMG has been a proud supporter of The First Tee since 2009, and every year ICMG donates the funds raised during its Charity Golf Tournament to the The First Tee chapter closest to the conference location. ICMG’s conferences typically alternate between the East and West Coasts, which in turn broadens The First Tee chapters that benefit from the association’s support.

Rich Katz, ICMG Golf Tournament chair and longtime ICMG board member, noted that “ICMG continues to choose to support The First Tee based on its work with young people.”

“The unique way The First Tee gives a sound basis for life through learning programs and incorporation of their nine core values is certainly an influencing factor on the decision to support them,” Katz said. “Our participation at the local level helps the local chapters provide programming to get the nine values taught through the game of golf early on, helping prepare students to grow up and become valuable members of society.”

To learn more about The First Tee, visit their website at www.thefirsttee.org.

The Inter-Company Marketing Group is the premier non-profit association that fosters strategic alliances among insurance and financial services companies, providing targeted networking opportunities, sharing of knowledge, experience, and resources for successful inter-company alliances. Among ICMG’s members are marketing and business development decision-makers with insurance carriers, reinsurers, distributors, third-party administrators, and other related companies in the insurance business. Find ICMG on LinkedIn, or visit www.icmg.org to learn more.

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life®) announced donations of $275,000 awarded to Twin Cities area charitable organizations for their focus on enhancing seniors’ quality of life.

Through community programming and outreach, these nonprofits help seniors remain self-sufficient. More than 70,000 local seniors utilize the programs provided by these organizations.

While grant recipients offer a broad variety of senior assistance programs, as a new focus this year three organizations will use their grant funding to tackle elder financial abuse. Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance (Legal Aid), Minnesota Elder Justice Center and Tubman will help elder financial abuse victims and provide education on elder financial abuse prevention. Other grant recipients will provide programming aimed at assisting caregivers, offering companionship and supporting wellness. Some programs will also help with basic needs such as food, transportation, adaptive living, yard work and house painting.

“Allianz Life is committed to supporting the well-being of seniors in our community, and we look forward to putting our grants to good use,” said Allianz Life president and CEO Walter White. “As I’ve seen firsthand, seniors receiving these services thrive in their community, and our employees and others who volunteer build strong connections to the people they support.”

Sixteen organizations received grants from Allianz Life ranging from $10,000 to $35,000 as part of the Allianz Life Senior Services Grant Program. The 2015 Allianz Life Senior Services Grant recipients are:

• Store To Door ($25,000)–supporting their Live-Well at Home Screenings program.

• Senior Community Services ($25,000)– supporting their Senior Outreach and Caregiver Services program.

• The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation ($20,000)–supporting their Services for Aging program.

• Minneapolis Institute of Arts ($15,000)–supporting their museum programs benefitting seniors, including the Discover Your Story program.

• Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly ($15,000)–supporting their overall program.

• Canvas Health ($15,000)–supporting their Service Coordination and Transportation for seniors program.

• Catholic Charities ($15,000)–supporting their Aging Services program.

• Keystone Community Services ($35,000)–supporting their Senior Services program.

• Friends of the Hennepin County Library ($15,000)–supporting their Deposit Collections and At-Home Services for seniors and people with disabilities.

• Theater Latte Da ($15,000)–supporting their Seniors and Family program.

• CommonBond Communities ($15,000)– supporting their Advantage Services for Seniors program.

• Tubman ($15,000)–supporting their Legal Advocacy for Older Victims of Crime program.

• Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance (Legal Aid) (15,000)–supporting their Senior Law Project program.

• Minnesota Elder Justice Center ($15,000) –supporting their Prevention of Elder Abuse program.

• Sabathani Community Center ($10,000)– supporting their Seniors program.

• Intercongregation Communities Association (ICA) ($10,000)–supporting their Food for Our Seniors program.

Organizations were chosen by the Allianz Life Community Relations Governance Committee, which oversees community relations policies that ensure charitable practices are in line with Allianz Life’s core values. Organizations must illustrate how their community programs help seniors remain self-sufficient and enhance their quality of life.

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, one of FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2015, has been keeping its promises since 1896. Today, it carries on that tradition, helping Americans achieve their retirement income and protection goals with a variety of annuities and life insurance products. As a leading provider of fixed index annuities, Allianz Life is part of Allianz SE, a global leader in the financial services industry with 147,000 employees worldwide. More than 85 million private and corporate customers rely on Allianz knowledge, global reach, and capital strength to help them make the most of financial opportunities.

John Hancock Insurance announced an expansion of its game-changing John Hancock Vitality solution with the addition of the HealthyFood program. Now, John Hancock Vitality policyholders can earn rewards for the healthy food choices they make every day with real-time discounts and/or cash-back up to $600 per year on their grocery bills, and program points that lead to savings on their annual premiums-as much as 15 percent. 

First introduced one year ago, the John Hancock Vitality solution reinvented the life insurance experience to connect long-term health to financial well-being. The program provides savings and rewards to policyholders who complete health-related activities like exercising, getting an annual health screening or receiving a flu shot. Individuals have the option to track their physical activity with smartphone apps and devices like the Apple Watch and Fitbit. 

The Vitality HealthyFoodTM component takes the program a step further by rewarding policyholders for purchasing healthy food at any of the 16,000 participating stores nationwide, including Walmart and other major grocery chains in the NutriSavings network (a complete list of included grocery stores can be viewed at http://www.nutrisavings.com/all-retailers/.) Policyholders also gain nutritional information and guidance that will help them adopt healthier eating habits through a new collaboration with the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

“Over the past year, we’ve seen our customers embrace the John Hancock Vitality program. In fact, our policyholders are taking an average of 9,205 steps per day, compared to the average U.S. adult, who takes an average of 5,900 daily steps,” said Michael Doughty, president, John Hancock Insurance. “But fitness without good nutrition is not nearly as impactful on your health as when you combine the two. Now, with the addition of the HealthyFood program, policyholders can be rewarded for both walking a few more steps and making healthy food choices to improve their overall health.”

In the U.S., poor diet accounts for one out of four deaths (26 percent) or nearly 700,000 deaths each year.  More than two-thirds of American adults age 20 and older are overweight or obese, as are 32 percent of children, according to the American Heart Association.  Adopting a healthy diet and active lifestyle can help many Americans take control of their health and prevent heart disease and other chronic conditions. There are many sites online to educate people on nutrition and healthy eating, for example Thenutritioninsider.com. There are also fitness programs to help people stay fit and healthy. These can easily be found online so it is not difficult for people to get help.  

“Policyholders also gain access to trusted science, resources, and other tools that will help them adopt healthier diets through a new collaboration with the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, the only graduate school of nutrition in North America, which will provide up-to-date and relevant guidance towards maintaining a healthy diet,” said Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. 

Similar programs abroad have been successful in influencing consumers to choose healthier foods. In South Africa, where the HealthyFood benefit was developed by Discovery Insurance, research has shown that offering cash-back can change consumer purchasing behaviors. When offered discounts of 10 percent and 25 percent for healthy foods, consumers increased the amount of money they spent on healthy food by six percent and 9.3 percent; increased the amount of fruit and vegetables they bought by 5.7 percent and 8.5 percent; and decreased the amount of less-healthy foods purchased by 5.6 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.  

“The John Hancock Vitality program has been our most successful launch, with great levels of interest and early adoption,” said Alan Pollard, CEO, Vitality. “By introducing the HealthyFood benefit to its members, John Hancock continues to reaffirm our shared commitment to improving the lives of our customers.”

The HealthyFood program is coming to life today in New York’s Grand Central Terminal with an interactive John Hancock Vitality Marketplace. Visitors will be able to enjoy delicious healthy food samples and test their healthy food knowledge while earning rewards for the healthy choices they make, similar to the ones earned through the John Hancock life insurance with Vitality program. Renowned chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio will stop by to serve up some tasty dishes and show visitors how to navigate healthy options when they’re at the grocery store.

 The John Hancock Vitality program is available on Term, Protection Universal Life, Accumulation Indexed Universal Life, Protection Indexed Universal Life, Accumulation Variable Universal Life and Simplified Life (easy-issue Variable Universal Life) products. John Hancock plans to add additional products to its Vitality portfolio later this year.  Visit www.JHRewardsLife.com for more details about John Hancock life insurance with Vitality and the HealthyFood program.

Toronto-based international financial services provider, Foresters™ has rebranded to Foresters Financial™ in a move that aligns the Foresters family of companies across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom under one collective brand. The brand name change was prompted by the launch of an ambitious new strategy, designed to propel significant organizational growth into 2025. 

“The shift to Foresters Financial is very important,” said Kasia Czarski, Senior Vice President, Chief Membership and Marketing Officer, Foresters Financial. “When members of the public see or hear the Foresters name, many wonder what we do, but now our brand provides a clear signal about what business we’re in.”

As part of the rebrand, this past year Foresters redefined the organization’s core story and value proposition to help differentiate Foresters within the financial services space and build greater brand awareness with specific target audiences.  

“At Foresters Financial, we believe in doing more–for you, your family and your community,” said Czarski. “That is the value we bring as a financial services provider. We believe in helping families meet their financial goals, protect themselves and improve the communities where they live. Now, Foresters family of companies will not only share one brand and visual identity, but together we will deliver on a set of values that we all share.” 

Since 1874, Foresters has strived to redefine what a financial services organization can and should do for the families it serves by investing time and money in initiatives such as grass-roots volunteerism, national charitable partnerships and academic scholarships. 

As part of its growth strategy, Foresters recently acquired Aegon Capital Management Inc. and Aegon Fund Management Inc. in Canada. These two companies have been rebranded under the Foresters Financial umbrella and renamed to Foresters Asset Management Inc. and Foresters Financial Investment Management Company of Canada Inc., respectively. 

In May, a new global website–foresters.com – launched, showcasing Foresters life insurance, investment and savings products while providing enhanced functionality and an improved user experience for clients, members and sales partners.

“What excites me is that the launch of our new global website is just the starting point for the reinvigorated Foresters Financial brand,” said Czarski. “When combined, our 10-year strategy, new brand name, integrated global website and enhanced story make this a very exciting time for Foresters Financial. As we build on the momentum of the past decade, we look forward to a new decade of growth that will unlock the tremendous potential of Foresters purpose and help us truly do more.”

Petersen International Underwriters has announced the hiring of Todd Shield as a Regional Vice President.  Mr. Shield previously worked at Assurity Life Insurance Company as Manager of Disability Income Products.  He is a nationally recognized personality of the disability insurance industry, and was elected the 2016 President of the International Disability Insurance Society. 

“We are ecstatic to have Todd join our team,” reported Thomas Petersen, vice president of Petersen International, “We look forward to his unique knowledge of the market and circle of influence to help Petersen International further expand marketing reach throughout the country.” 

Petersen International Underwriters can be reached at (800) 345-8816 or at piu@piu.org.

Employees of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life®) voted to have four Twin Cities’ charities receive $25,000 each to support their mission as part of the company’s Employee-Elected Charities program for 2016—American Cancer Society, Animal Humane Society, Feed My Starving Children, and HopeKids.  In addition to the contribution, Allianz Life employees will volunteer their time to events with each charity throughout the year.

Since the Employee-Elected Charities program began, Allianz Life has given more than $1 million to charities in the community. To be nominated as an employee-elected charity, 10 or more Allianz Life employees must have volunteered with the organization during the previous year.

“This program directly reflects the wishes of our employees who give their time and energy to these charities,” said Allianz Life President and CEO Walter White. “I’m proud that our corporate donations can represent and reinforce our employees’ personal commitment to these organizations each year.”

Allianz Life provides each employee eight hours of paid time off annually to volunteer for the charity of their choice. In 2015, nearly 1,100 employees volunteered more than 15,000 hours in the community, the equivalent of approximately $356,900 of in-kind donations.

LifeMark Partners, Inc., one of the nation’s largest independent national insurance marketing organizations, today announced two new members to their board of directors: Dan Allison, president of Brokers Clearing House, Ltd., and Daniel P. Anderson, chief executive officer of Madison Brokerage. Both will serve four-year terms.

“Dan and Daniel both have the drive and know-how to be valuable assets to our board. They have forged their own paths in the insurance business with considerable success,” said William Shelow, CLU, ChFC, CPCU, LLIF, president and chief executive officer, LifeMark Partners Inc. “As we celebrate our 20th anniversary in 2016, we welcome to the table these two individuals with remarkable histories of accomplishment and visions for the future of our industry. I am sure they will make an indelible mark over the next four years.”

Dan Allison is the president of Brokers Clearing House, Ltd, a founding member company of LifeMark Partners. While beginning his career in clinical and behavioral psychology, Allison cofounded a firm that grew to hundreds of employees who served Midwest families with children suffering from serious mental health issues. He eventually sold that firm and created the Feedback Marketing Group, which offered consulting services and advice on building relationship-driven businesses and engaging clients through the referral process to many of the world’s most successful wealth management companies. Through the Feedback Marketing Group, Allison has been a featured keynote speaker for firms and organizations throughout the world including AIG, TD Ameritrade, Dimensional Fund Advisors, the Million Dollar Round Table, and Top of the Table. He applies his industry knowledge as a consultant to transform the Brokers Clearing House brand into a viable solution for advisors in an ever-changing industry.

Daniel Anderson is the chief executive officer of Madison Brokerage Corp. A visionary and trailblazer who set out to change the world of insurance brokerage nearly three decades ago, Anderson has been sharing his knowledge and expertise with advisors ever since. His innovative thinking and idea of creating a more personal, efficient and seamless execution of wholesale insurance transactions led to the creation of Madison Brokerage. Before starting Madison Brokerage, Anderson founded The Insurance Exchange of America, Inc., a national life insurance wholesaler in 1987, which he later sold to BISYS. While at BISYS he served as executive vice president of national sales and assisted in acquisitions and development. Over the years, Anderson has been a consultant to prominent insurance carriers concerning distribution and has served on the boards of numerous life insurance companies. He currently serves on advisory boards for Legal & General America, American General and Prudential. In addition, he is a trustee for the NJ Lymphoma and Leukemia Society and is a sought out industry speaker.

“We are excited that Dan and Daniel have agreed to join our board. With their years of experience and respective accomplishments in the insurance business, entrepreneurial spirits and independent thinking we are looking forward to their instinctive guidance and a unique perspective from them as LifeMark continues to grow,” added Mark Rosen, chairman of the board.

LifeMark Partners exists to leverage partner, carrier and industry resources and expertise to enhance and expand life insurance distribution for the benefit of all stakeholders. As an independent insurance marketing organization, LifeMark is dedicated to the ongoing development and enhancement of BGA partner resources to help undeniably differentiate partner agencies from the competition. Affiliates benefit from some of the most robust service offerings in the market today, including expansive underwriting capabilities, advanced case design support, sales and product benchmarking tools, and turnkey sales and marketing systems. At its core, LifeMark Partners was founded as a study group more than 40 years ago and is celebrating 20 years as a leading IMO. This foundation provides a unique opportunity to form strategic alliances and share best practices for partners to grow their agencies together through regular training, networking and educational opportunities. With unparalleled partnership, expertise and access to these industry-leading resources, LifeMark Partners provides affiliates The Strength of Many. The Power of One. To learn more about the qualifications necessary to become a LifeMark partner, visit: www.LifeMarkPartners.com.

Partners Advantage President James Wong announced the appointment of Patrick Amaya as General Counsel. In this position, Amaya will serve as the company’s in-house legal counsel and will direct its compliance and suitability office.  His office will also provide regulatory and compliance educational programs for the company’s employees and distribution network.

“In light of a continually changing and growing regulatory environment, Partners Advantage has made the strategic decision to add an in-house general counsel to enable us to be on the front edge of legal and regulatory matters,” Wong stated. 

Most recently, Amaya served as compliance manager at Pacific Life Insurance Company. He brings experience working in similar capacities at several other financial companies including Merrill Lynch, MetLife and WAMU Investments. He also spent several years as a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo Investments. 

Amaya is a licensed attorney and member of the California Bar. He earned his Juris Doctorate at Western State College of Law in Fullerton, CA, and also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He maintains the following licenses: FINRA Series 7, 66, 24, 4, 53, 31 and California Life and Disability.

 For more information about Partners Advantage, visit www.PartnersAdvantage.com.