Head of Individual Business Development & Specialty Markets

Head of Individual Life Business Development & Specialty Markets Role purpose:

• Executive leadership position accountable for setting and significantly influencing the strategic direction of Guardian’s Individual Life Insurance business growth.
• Reporting to the Head of the Life Insurance Business, the Head of Life Business Development & Specialty Markets is responsible for Strategic Growth of the Life Insurance business including expanding into new markets, and ensuring the Life business remains the earnings and revenue powerhouse of Guardian . The role operates with high autonomy , leads through senior leaders, and makes decisions in ambiguous, complex, and highly regulated environments with material impact on Guardian’s long‑term performance and value.

• Set and execute Guardian’s Life Insurance business development and specialty markets strategy , shaping where and how the Life business grows
• Drive growth into new strategic markets that strengthen Guardian’s reach, impact and long‑term economic power
• Make strategic tradeoffs balancing growth, profitability, risk, capital deployment, and brand impact across the Life business

• Lead the new marketplace go‑to‑market strategy with strong alignment across all functions within the Life Insurance business
• Resolve cross‑functional conflicts and competing priorities to ensure execution at scale
• Serve as a senior integrator across functions, ensuring strategies translate into measurable commercial outcomes

• Ensure Life products maintain strong competitive positioning and client‑centricity , supported by Guardian’s brand and reputation
• Influence the evolution of the Life portfolio, leading with Whole Life Insurance and a competitive dividend , while supporting innovation and disciplined portfolio evolution
• Partner with Product Management, Underwriting, and Actuarial leaders to ensure long‑term sustainability and value creation

• Lead expansion into strategic and specialty markets to supplement core growth and drive Life sales
• Grow Bank‑Owned Life Insurance (BOLI) and the flexible premium (UL/VUL) product lines
• Expand into new strategic markets, including hybrid/LTC and variable solutions , where Guardian can win through differentiation

• Leverage transformational enablement (technology, data, distribution capabilities, and operating model evolution) to build forward‑looking Life solutions
• Champion paradigm‑shifting Life solutions for emerging generations , including Gen Z, ensuring Guardian’s relevance over the long term
• Anticipate external market, demographic, and regulatory shifts and proactively reposition Guardian’s Life growth strategy accordingly

• Operate with enterprise mindset , shaping decisions beyond immediate functional boundaries
• Own growth outcomes, investment prioritization, and resource allocation tied to Life Business Development and Specialty Markets
• Leading through subordinate leaders, developing executive‑level talent and strengthening organizational capability
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives on Life growth strategy and market expansion decisions

An experienced commercial executive with deep Life Insurance expertise, recognized for generating new and innovative solutions to complex problems , leading in ambiguity, and delivering sustained growth  are known for:

• Setting strategic direction rather than executing predefined plans
• Making high‑impact decisions with incomplete information
• Influencing outcomes through leadership, not authority alone
• Building durable capabilities that outlast individual initiatives. Having an external mindset, with a deep awareness of market dynamics and evolving trends in distribution, product, solutions, and the end client

• 10+ years of experience in Life Insurance, business development, distribution strategy, or specialty markets, including 5+ years in executive or senior enterprise leadership roles
• Deep expertise in…