Position Summary
The CMO – Life Marketing position is a key executive role in support of our client’s U.S. life insurance business. This position will provide strategic marketing leadership in areas including marketing strategy and analysis, branding and positioning, sales and distribution support, product development, direct and database marketing, customer relationship management, integrated marketing campaigns, e-mail and internet marketing, and overall marketing program evaluation.

Reporting Relationship
The CMO - Life position will report directly to the President of U.S. Life Insurance business.

As our client is part of a global insurance and financial services company, the CMO – Life position will have matrix relationships with other subsidiary companies and with the Group Headquarters.

Location
The CMO - Life position will be located at our client’s headquarters office in a major West Coast city.

Scope of Role

Mission

1. The CMO – Life has the overall responsibility to create and implement marketing strategies which meet and exceed the target revenue and profit goals in 2010 and beyond.
2. The CMO – Life will drive innovations in product development, alternative distribution, and overall/direct/digital marketing processes and infrastructures, to transform our client’s marketing to “best in class" status.

Key Responsibilities

• Bring strong marketing leadership and functional expertise to position our client’s life insurance products in all the key U.S. markets as a “best-in-class" nationwide competitor.
• Develop marketing strategies for our client’s life insurance business covering elements including branding, positioning, marketing research, product management, customer management, product development, channel/distribution strategies, covering all products and customer segments in the client’s life insurance business.
• Provide leadership to strengthen the quality, performance and development of marketing and sales support staff throughout the country. Build the marketing talent pipeline, assist in attracting/recruiting top marketing talent, and build and oversee “high performance" marketing and sales support teams and systems on a national basis.
• Convert the approved marketing strategies into budgets and resources as well as operational and tactical marketing plans and programs.
• Create consumer-, market- and competitor- intelligence insights and strengthen understanding, knowledge, and market research of both consumer and business-to-business markets.
• Develop, oversee, approve, and manage national, regional, and state marketing budgets including advertising, media placements, promotion, direct and database marketing, digital marketing/e-commerce, sponsorships, and events.
• Oversee selection, management, and evaluation of all outside marketing agencies assisting on a national and regional basis, including advertising, brand consulting, direct and digital marketing, event marketing, public relations, and sponsorships.
• Develop and implement metrics and processes, in collaboration with the CFO, to measure and maximize the effectiveness of marketing strategies and tactics, and link performance of all marketing programs to them.

Qualifications:

Sales & Distribution

• Prior marketing (CMO) leadership experience in the life insurance and/or related financial services (i.e., annuities, funds/wealth management) sectors is essential.
• Experienced in all aspects of a Tied Agent Sales Force, or the Personal Producing General Agent system.
• Alternative multi-distribution experience is essential.
• Must have excellent skills at building relationships with all types of distributors.
• Experienced in developing sales support across multi-distribution, value chain sales tools, support systems, contest designs, compensation design, etc.

Product Development

• Generate and evaluate new product ideas.
• Development of clear design and pricing goals to meet multi-distribution customer needs.
• Experience with direct mail, bank channel, Tied Agent, GA, IA, and broker-dealer design products.
• Skilled in negotiating with all internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge across all life insurance and related financial service product lines.

  Marketing
  The successful candidate will be a proven, successful branding, marketing and marketing communications professional with the following qualifications:

  • 10+ years of relevant life insurance and financial services marketing experience, including 3+ years at CMO level; earlier background in consumer product (CPG) marketing is a plus.
  • Strong leadership and change management skills and proven ability to transform an organization into a marketing- and customer-led organization.
  • Thought leader in all areas of marketing, branding, positioning, marketing research, product development, customer management, distribution strategies, integrated marketing communications, digital marketing/e-commerce, public relations, and events/sponsorships.
  • Successful driver, builder, and leader of national and regional marketing organizations functioning effectively in complex matrix environments, assuring that marketing personnel gain traction, credibility, and contribute to profitably building businesses.

    Direct/Digital Marketing

    • Strong experience in customer acquisition, cross-sell, CRM, and loyalty/retention marketing.
    • Ability to manage and direct all aspects of direct mail, DRTV, and direct sales/call centers.
    • Web-based marketing experience including internet/web development, e-mail marketing, SEM/SEO, social media networks.

    Personal

    • Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to gain internal respect and build consensus with superiors, peers, and subordinates.
    • Excellent communication skills including oral/written and presentation skills; proficiency in preparation and presentation of analytical reports and documents regarding operational status, achievement, and performance.
    • Knowledge of organizational design, financial budgeting and control activities, as related to achieving operational accountabilities; strong financial, analytical and planning skills.

      Education:
      The successful candidate will have a Bachelor’s Degree in business, marketing or related discipline. Masters degree is preferred.

      Compensation:
      As our client is seeking an outstanding individual for this important senior leadership position, they are offering an attractive compensation package including base salary, discretionary cash bonus, long-term incentives and personal benefits.

      Contact:
      Executive Connections LLC is handling this retained executive search on an exclusive basis.
      
      For additional information, please contact:
      
      Jeff Gundersen – CEO
      Direct: 941-323-8300 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              941-323-8300      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
      jgundersen@executiveconnectionsllc.com
      www.executiveconnectionsllc.com