VP, Advisory & Distribution Marketing
Industry: Life Insurance/Annuities Sector
The Company
Our client is a subsidiary of a global UK-headquartered company that constitutes one of the world’s leading financial services groups providing insurance and financial services through its subsidiaries and affiliates throughout the world.
Our client is a leading provider of retirement solutions. The company sells variable, fixed and fixed index annuities, and institutional products. Through its affiliates and subsidiaries, our client also provides asset management and retail brokerage services. Our client markets its products in 49 states and the District of Columbia through independent and regional broker-dealers, wire houses, financial institutions, and independent insurance agents.
Position Title
VP, Advisory & Distribution Marketing
Reporting
SVP, Advisory & Distribution Marketing
Location
This position will be located in the client’s Nashville, TN office
Summary
The Vice President, Distribution & Advisory Marketing is responsible for visualizing, creating, and implementing product and value add marketing and sales strategies across the commission-based and advisory distribution channels. The VP will develop and deploy both long-term and short-term strategies that align with company sales targets and a dynamic product agenda across a multi-channel marketing platform. The VP will focus on developing strong relationships with all key stakeholders across the company, including those with the salesforce.
Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities
- Cultivates, implements, and manages product marketing and sales strategies across multiple distribution channels. Assists in the creation of sales concepts, white papers and sales presentations for multiple audiences including wholesalers, advisors, and clients.
- Functions as a product brand advocate by being a competitive expert, conduit of information, and source of sales ideas for our wholesalers.
- Executes a business plan to maximize brand sales through independent, bank, regional broker/dealer and advisory channels.
- Works closely with the salesforce to develop appropriate business plans and strengthen sales skill sets to maximize territorial sales.
- Works with Product Management to identify needs in order to create competitive products and oversees a team that executes go to market strategies for the dynamic product agenda across channels
- Translates the technical aspects of products into easily understood and compelling stories to ensure the message resonates effectively across multiple audiences
- Develops rollout plans for new products, benefit changes, added features and other critical information that are important to wholesalers as well as internal and external customers and coordinates plans across multiple product lines
- Attends regional/annual wholesaler meetings to provide updates on products, positioning of products and teach product sales techniques.
- Stewards and provides final review of all product marketing material to include print materials, website, and intranet.
- Works collaboratively with the other leadership team members in developing and executing Marketing and Communications department strategy and execution plans and programs.
- Coordinates with partners to prioritize efforts with other key company initiatives
- Directs staff; responsible for personnel actions including hiring, performance and salary reviews, disciplinary action and firing.
Job Requirements (Knowledge, Skills & Abilities)
- Prior wholesaling experience preferred, or must possess a strong understanding of wholesaling and the financial sales process.
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to organize, inspire, and motivate teams.
- Ability to be a strong individual contributor as well as a member of a collaborative team; fosters cross-functional teaming across the department.
- Must have excellent presentation skills.
- Must have expert annuity knowledge.
- Must be able to effectively interact with all levels of management as well as other departments in a collaborative environment.
- Must be a well-organized self-starter with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Must understand the regulatory environment as it applies to state verification forms, sales kits, all marketing materials and compliance.
- Knowledge of the Microsoft Office Products (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
Education and Experience Required
- Bachelor’s degree required. MBA and/or advanced industry designations preferred.
- 10+ years of financial services or insurance industry experience.
- Previous experience working with life insurance, mutual funds and 401K a plus.
- Experience initiating and developing training programs preferred.
Certifications, Licenses, Registrations Required
- FINRA Series 6 registration required. Series 7, 63 a plus.
- State life insurance licenses a plus.
Compensation
As our client is seeking an outstanding individual for this important Marketing/Communications executive position, they are offering an attractive compensation package including base salary, discretionary cash bonus, long-term incentives, and excellent health and welfare benefits.
Contact
Executive Connections LLC is handling this retained executive search on an exclusive basis. For additional information, please contact:
Jeff Gundersen – CEO
941-323-8300
jgundersen@executiveconnectionsllc.com
Darcy Bevelacqua – Managing Director
917-520-0261
dbevelacqua@executiveconnectionsllc.com