Friday, March 29, 2024

Haven Life

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Haven Life, a leading digital direct-to-consumer life insurance agency backed and wholly owned by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), has welcomed four new members to their leadership team. Sahang-Hee Hahn, Matt Myers, Kimberly Love and Sasha Pryor have joined Haven Life, strengthening executive leadership to better serve multiple distribution channels and to continue raising the bar in the delivery of excellent products.

“Our core mission at Haven Life is to make life insurance more accessible and affordable for everyone, through the channel of their choosing, whether that is direct-to-consumer on HavenLife.com or through the broker universe which develops deep relationships with their clients and are looking to offer quality products. As we continue to deliver on that core mission, it is important for us to bring in the right talent to help fuel growth,” said Mitch Ocampo, head of Haven Life. “We are so pleased to have Sahang-Hee, Kimberly and Sasha join our team as we continue to build a better experience for our customers, and excited to announce Matt’s new role as head of marketing to further expand our leadership team. I look forward to seeing their talents continue to grow and shine as we innovate together.”

Sahang-Hee Hahn, the head of Strategy and Planning at Haven Life, will further shape the company’s strategy and develop business processes that are “fit-for-purpose” and lead to greater efficiency across business lines. Bringing a wealth of experience in the fintech and startup space, Hahn will navigate legal, business, and compliance risk and leverage her MassMutual network inside the larger enterprise.

Hahn has an MBA from the Wharton School, where she majored in Finance and Management. She also possesses a J.D. from the Washington and Lee University School of Law, and she obtained her BA, magna cum laude, in English from the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences. Hahn also has her Series 7, 24, and 63 licenses.

As head of Insurance Services, Kimberly Love, FSA, CERA, MAAA, will lead the actuarial functions of Haven Life including product pricing, underwriting, policy administration, and claims management. Love has 20 years of experience in the insurance industry leading product development for life insurance and annuities products. She has held previous positions at Penn Mutual and Voya Financial, and most recently was a vice president and marketing actuary with Canada Life Reinsurance. Love holds a Bachelor of Science in math and economics from Duke University and is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries.

As head of Customer Success, Pryor will lead teams that support Haven Life’s customers and partners throughout the process of buying life insurance. With over 15 years of leadership experience in the financial and insurance industries, Pryor has been instrumental in building out and leading call centers, quality assurance programs, and high-performing teams.

Matt Myers has taken over the head of Marketing position at Haven Life. Since joining the company in 2016, he has been responsible for scaling the direct acquisition marketing programs that have helped achieve substantial year-over-year growth each year at Haven Life. A direct marketer by trade, Myers has over 15 years in customer acquisition and user growth experience and will be taking on additional responsibilities as it pertains to branding, creative services, content and PR. Myers holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Temple University.

Haven Life is dedicated to building a better experience for anyone who wants life insurance, delivering innovative online solutions that make it simpler and more affordable for consumers to financially protect those they love through the channel of their choosing.

Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC (Haven Life) is re-thinking how people financially protect the ones they love. Haven Life is committed to delivering exceptional products, delightful purchasing experiences, and meaningful moments of service to the modern life insurance customer.

Ash Brokerage

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Ash Brokerage LLC (“Ash”), a leading distributor of life, long term care, disability and retirement solutions, announced the addition of Brian Lauber, CLU, ChFC, as senior vice president of Disability Insurance.

Jason Grover, president of Ash, expressed the opportunity to double down on helping advisors help their clients.

“As a leader in disability insurance, we’re never satisfied with good enough,” Grover said. “We know there are many more clients who need to protect their income. Looking at Ash’s position in the market, now was the time to make a strategic investment back in our DI business to help advisors tell the income protection story.”

In January, Ash retained Chris Carlson Brokerage Group to review Ash’s messaging and market opportunity. Following the conversations, Matt McAvoy, partner and divisional president of Ash, identified Brian as the right person to carry the torch.

“With a proven record for growing market share, Brian is a phenomenal asset to help us tap into additional resources,” McAvoy said. “Brian is well known and respected across the insurance industry.”

Brian has served at multiple insurance carriers as an advisor, wholesaler, district manager, regional VP, VP of independent distribution and chief marketing officer. Most recently he was regional director of IDI Sales for The Standard and regional managing director at Principal Financial Group, two of Ash’s key distribution partners for disability insurance.

Brian’s tenure will add to Ash’s existing team of DI specialists, including Tim Kukieza, VP of Disability, who has successfully grown Ash’s DI sales for more than a decade.

For more on Ash’s disability insurance offerings, visit www.ashbrokerage.com/plan/disability-insurance.

Founded over 50 years ago in Fort Wayne, IN, Ash Brokerage’s more than 400 employees are focused on helping financial professionals innovate through insurance solutions. In 2021, Ash protected almost 50,000 lives, helping place nearly $2 billion of premium. In 2022, Ash Brokerage joined the Integrity Marketing Group family of companies.

As a brokerage general agency, Ash leverages relationships with more than 80 top-rated insurance carriers to answer the needs of financial professionals nationwide. Ash has the tools—and the people—to bring solutions in every stage of life. Whatever the question. Whatever the need. Ash Answers.

Allianz Life

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America announced recently that it has named Karim Akhavan-Hezavei as senior vice president, chief operating officer (COO) effective July 1. Akhavan-Hezavei will have accountability for Enterprise Operations, IT, IT Security, and Administrative Strategy and Management (ASaM) functions for the company and will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Jasmine Jirele. He will be responsible for driving the transformation of Allianz Life’s operational and technology processes to support the company’s growth.

Akhavan-Hezavei comes to Allianz Life from Allianz Services in Munich, an operating entity of Allianz SE specializing in business support services. At Allianz Services, he was a member of the company’s executive management team and had overall responsibility for operations and IT, global projects, and development of global business models. While at Allianz Services, he implemented multiple technology initiatives and launched several new and innovative client-based claims systems. He also established several strategic partnerships with insurtechs to help strengthen the company’s technical capabilities and improve the client experience. Allianz Services has over 5,000 employees located across eight countries and four continents and focuses on core insurance operations, shared services, business analytics, engineering, and management consulting.

“Karim brings extensive operations, technology, and leadership experience to Allianz Life,” said Jasmine Jirele, president and chief executive officer for Allianz Life. “He brings a valuable and unique perspective that will help us continue to build out the best experience possible for our clients as they plan for their retirement.”

Akhavan-Hezavei joined Allianz in 2013 and has served in a variety of senior leader roles including as head of the group chief operating officer office and as a senior project manager. Prior to joining Allianz, he held positions with Siemens and Ernst & Young Consulting. He has a Master’s degree in Economics from Ludwig-Maximillans University, Munich.

Reliance Standard

Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (Reliance Standard), a leading provider of financial protection, absence management and supplemental health benefits solutions, recently promoted two senior sales leaders.

JoAnne Doyle has been promoted to vice president, Group Sales, reporting to Senior VP and Chief Distribution Officer Todd Elliott. Since joining Reliance Standard in 2009, Doyle has been a standout sales leader and strategist, responsible for the New York regional sales office and, most recently, the Northeast region of the US. In her new role, Doyle becomes accountable for Reliance Standard’s national Regional Sales Office (RSO) based sales force of 100-plus individuals. Doyle has been named to the company’s prestigious President’s Panel multiple times, and is a graduate of the global Tokio Marine Next Gen Leadership Program.

Tim Suchecki has been promoted to vice president, national practice leader, Integrated Employee Benefits Sales. Suchecki joined Reliance Standard in 2002, and has been a primary driver of product design, distribution, and growth within the mid to large client market segments. A recognized subject matter expert in integrated disability and leave management, Suchecki oversees a regional team of practice leaders responsible for crafting integrated benefits and leave management solutions in the fast-changing regulatory landscape. Suchecki also reports to SVP Todd Elliott.

“I am pleased to recognize JoAnne and Tim for their performance and accomplishments in sales production, management, and strategic leadership throughout their time here at Reliance,” Elliott said. “Their combined legacies represent everything that is unique and powerful about our market position: Strength, expertise, passion and a commitment to superior service on behalf of our brokers and clients. I can’t think of a better way to kick off the new year.”

For more information about Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company, visit http://www.reliancestandard.com.

NAILBA

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The National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA) announced John Gilbert, president of The National Benefit Corp., West Des Moines, IA, as its 2022 Chair. Gilbert’s financial services career began in 2002 as an agent for Bankers Life and Casualty, where he served the central Iowa senior marketplace with life insurance, long term care, annuities, and Medicare supplements.

Gilbert joined The National Benefit Corp. in 2004 as a marketing consultant, specializing in annuity marketing, and has held advancing roles over the past 17 years. He has long been active in NAILBA, serving as the Agency Successor Networking Group (ASNG) chair for the past three years, and was recognized in 2017 with the NAILBA Chairman’s Award.

“We cannot look toward the future of NAILBA without remembering those that paved the way for all of us,” Gilbert said in his Chairman’s address at the NAILBA annual meeting in November. “Mooers, Lea, Lerner, Milner, Felton, Cohen, Jetter, Tessler, Gentry—these people and many, many others laid the foundation for NAILBA, and they deserve our thanks and gratitude.”

Gilbert also expressed his commitment to NAILBA members, who often deal with families during their most difficult times. “We need to honor the past and the accomplishments of so many, while ensuring that independent distribution always focuses on how we deliver checks to orphans, widows, and business owners in their greatest time of need. That is what NAILBA is working on and what we will spend our energy trying to deliver for our membership.”

In addition to his leadership in NAILBA, Gilbert has also been active in the local NAIFA chapter and was the 2016 president of The TYGERS, a study group of second and third generation insurance professionals. He attended Northwest Missouri State and Iowa State universities and is series 6, 63, and life and health licensed.

OneAmerica

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The Individual Life and Financial Services (ILFS) line of business at OneAmerica® is positioning the business for growth by making three key leadership appointments in distribution, recruiting and business development. Mark Scalercio, senior vice president and head of distribution for ILFS, recently announced the personnel moves and how they positively impact strategic growth:

Jeff Levin was promoted to vice president of distribution for Care Solutions. The 25-year financial professional, a thought leader in the long term care industry, now leads a team of divisional vice presidents, regional sales directors and managers. Levin also oversees the account management team in the distribution, sale, and support of the company’s Care Solutions product line. Levin, who joined OneAmerica in 2019, previously was a divisional vice president, responsible for expansion of Care Solutions products, including life and annuity asset-based long term care products.

A winning business leader with deep commercial experience, Levin is regarded as a collaborative, hands-on leader with a passion for helping others achieve their goals. He is certified in long term care and Six Sigma. He is a sought-after panelist and thought leader among the industry’s associations and trade publications. Levin is a board member for the Intercompany Long-Term Care Insurance Conference Association, Inc. (ILTCi), participates in the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisor’s (NAIFA) Long Term Care Legislative Working Group, and is a member of the Bank Insurance & Securities Association (BISA) Steering Committee. Levin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Kristin Dorm was promoted to ILFS vice president of agency growth and development. Dorm joined OneAmerica in 2020 as the national director of recruiting and agent development, in which she made a great impact recruiting for the company’s Career Distribution channel and increased diversity among its general agents. In her new role, Dorm is leading the charge in driving growth, creating recruiting excellence and supporting the deployment and adoption of innovative recruiting and agent development initiatives. With nearly 20 years of recruiting experience in the financial services industry, she excels in connecting the right people with the right opportunity. Dorm is a thought leader on diversity, equity and inclusion. She recently joined NAIFA’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council to provide guidance, advice and support to important diversity initiatives in the financial services industry. She has been active in promoting and supporting The American College’s Conference of African American Financial Professionals (CAAFP). Dorm has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Isenberg School of Management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

David Junker joined OneAmerica in September as ILFS vice president of business development. Junker is overseeing the entire internal sales organization, including advanced markets, field sales training and the sales development teams. In addition, Junker will be critical to driving strategy and translating that strategy into action plans. Junker has nearly three decades’ experience through various roles that include sales director, director of advanced strategies and vice president of insurance sales. Junker holds a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Purdue University.

OneAmerica® is the marketing name for the companies of OneAmerica.

OneAmerica

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OneAmerica®, a national provider of insurance and financial services, has promoted Kelley Gay to chief marketing officer (CMO).

With nearly 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Gay has served OneAmerica in various leadership capacities for more than a decade. Since 2019, she has led the company’s enterprise marketing and communications strategy, driving exceptional brand experiences and positive results across the business.

Gay has played a key role in shifting OneAmerica to a customer-centric organization enabling the enterprise to meet and exceed the expectations of its stakeholders. In addition, her leadership has helped raise the company’s and business lines’ market visibility by aligning marketing, digital, communications and brand experiences to core strategic objectives—ultimately aiding in the growth of new business and retention.

“Kelley’s track record of high performance, combined with her deep industry expertise and strategic acumen, will be instrumental for OneAmerica as we take our brand to the next level,” said Karin Sarratt, executive vice president, OneAmerica. “With a career at OneAmerica highlighted by many successes, perhaps most important are her contributions toward helping us build a bright and thriving culture grounded in our relationships with each other and our stakeholders. I can’t think of a more exceptional executive than Kelley to lead us as we scale and further advance our market position.”

As head of enterprise marketing and communications, Gay oversees marketing, executive, internal and external communications, digital experiences, market visibility, brand management, customer relationship management, reputation management, custom marketing and financial wellness programming, marketing operations and portfolio strategy, and customer experience management. In previous appointments at OneAmerica, Gay held multiple marketing leadership positions for the enterprise as well as for the Individual Life and Financial Services and Retirement Services business lines.

“It’s rare to find a company with the people, culture and opportunity that OneAmerica has right now. I am proud to be a part of such an important point in OneAmerica’s growth trajectory,” said Gay. “My team is poised to help position the company for enduring success by delivering positive brand experience for our stakeholders and impactful outcomes for our business.”

Before joining OneAmerica, Gay held several marketing leadership roles at MassMutual Financial Group, focusing on building customer relationships with emerging consumer segments, career agency and independent brokerage marketing and product and services marketing. Earlier in her career, she worked with Phoenix Home Life and was a licensed financial advisor with Smith Barney.

Gay received her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Connecticut, where she also earned Big East All-Academic Team awards as a member of the basketball team from 1994-1998.

OneAmerica is the marketing name for the companies of OneAmerica.

A national provider in the insurance and financial services marketplace for more than 140 years, the companies of OneAmerica help customers build and protect their financial futures. OneAmerica offers a variety of products and services to serve the financial needs of their policyholders and customers. These products include retirement plan products and recordkeeping services, individual life insurance, annuities, asset based long-term care solutions and employee benefit plan products. To learn more about the products, services and the companies of OneAmerica, visit http://OneAmerica.com/companies.

Amalgamated Life

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Amalgamated Life Insurance Company (www.amalgamatedbenefits.com), a leading provider of comprehensive insurance solutions, recently announced the appointment of Jeff Sammons as sales executive. Sammons, who is based in Las Vegas, NV, will be marketing Amalgamated Life’s full product line to businesses, unions, associations and other organizations across the western region. He brings over 19 years of experience and a proven track-record selling insurance products and employee benefits.

Amalgamated Life’s Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing John Thornton commented, “Throughout his career, Jeff has demonstrated an ability to bring the best insurance solutions and employee benefits to a wide range of clients. He also brings a broad knowledge of health plans, regulations, and related technologies such as Employee Navigator. These attributes along with his strong working relationships with area brokers make him an ideal addition to the Amalgamated Life team.”

Sammons began his career as an independent insurance agent with Colonial Insurance and steadily advanced into senior-level roles. His positions have ranged from regional vice president, Northwest U.S. with Transamerica Employee Benefits and vice president of Sales and Technology Specialist with VBSEnroll/Bridgeport Benefits, to national sales advisor with HR Pro, among others. Most recently, he served as a benefit enrollment technologist specialist with LP Insurance Agency (Las Vegas, NV) where he was responsible for overseeing the implementation of online enrollment technology.

Sammons’s higher education includes studies at Northwest Technical College where he majored in business with a marketing focus.

Founded in 1943, Amalgamated Life Insurance Company has since grown into a leading provider of comprehensive insurance solutions operating in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Company provides competitive group products including term life, medical stop loss, disability and specialty drug cost management, as well as a suite of voluntary products such as accident, accidental death and dismemberment, critical illness, dental, disability, hearing, ID theft, legal, portable term life and whole life, among others. Since 1975, Amalgamated Life Insurance Company has consistently earned the “A” (Excellent) Rating from A.M. Best Company attesting to its strong fiscal position. The Company is a member of the Amalgamated Family of Companies, which also includes: a third party administrator, Amalgamated Employee Benefits Administrators; Amalgamated Medical Care Management, a medical care management firm; Amalgamated Agency, a property and casualty broker; and AliGraphics, a printing firm.

Underwriters Brokerage Service

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Underwriters Brokerage Service is pleased to announce the addition of Sean Link, JD, as their Estate Planning Specialist, reinforcing the company’s position at the forefront of providing comprehensive insurance, business, and estate strategies to partnered advisors and their clients.

Sean joins Underwriters Brokerage Service by way of PNC Wealth Management in Pittsburgh, where he specialized in fiduciary administration and estate planning for high-net-worth clients. During his successful tenure at PNC, Sean worked extensively with trusts, estates, and financial plans, and he translates that experience into objective results for clients.

“I am excited to join Underwriters Brokerage Service and oversee the creation of the Estate Review process. In this ever-evolving landscape, estate reviews are more important than ever, and Underwriters Brokerage is very timely in recognizing the need for this valuable service. I look forward to helping advisors and their clients address the “what” and the “how” of estate planning, and moreover get to the heart of the “why” behind their legacies.”

Mark Rosen, CLU, president of Underwriters Brokerage Service states, “Our goal has always been to assist financial advisors and insurance agents with enhancing their most important client relationships as well as protecting those relationships from competition. Adding Sean and his estate planning expertise to the Underwriters team helps significantly expand our capabilities in this regard.”

Sean was a fiduciary advisor with PNC Wealth Management for four years, and before that was a trial attorney with the Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender. He earned a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Allegheny College and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh.

Underwriters Brokerage Service is a premier Brokerage General Agency based in Pittsburgh, PA, and is a founding member of LIBRA Insurance Partners, the nation’s largest independent life insurance distributor. The company’s website at https://www.ubsnet.com contains additional information, contact details and resources.
Sean can be reached at sean.link@ubsnet.com or 412-281-0600 ext. 125

The Standard

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The Standard proudly announced the hiring of Paul Garofoli as their newest regional sales director. Based in Texas, he will work with marketing organizations and advisors across the country.

Paul is known for his enthusiasm, communication skills and support of agencies and producers. He’s a noted presenter with experience training agents in all 50 states, two U.S. territories and several European countries. Paul’s energy is a welcome addition to The Standard team.

Garofoli has 38 years of insurance brokerage and distribution experience. His career work includes underwriting, product development, marketing and sales within a variety of companies. He is a Fellow in the Life Management Institute and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science/economics from The University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

The Standard is a marketing name for StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. and subsidiaries. Insurance products are offered by Standard Insurance Company of Portland, Oregon, in all states except New York. Product features and availability vary by state and are solely the responsibility of Standard Insurance Company.

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