Mark joins LV= from Friends Provident where, as head of protection marketing, he was responsible for the development and promotion of protection products and pricing. He has over 20 years' experience in the protection market.
In his new role Mark is responsible for growing and developing LV='s strong position in the protection market. This will include promoting a range of product, service and marketing initiatives to support financial advisers and their clients during 2010. Mark reports to LV= customer solutions director, John Perks.
John Perks, LV= customer solutions director, said: "LV= is increasingly recognised as an innovative protection provider and we are delighted to have been able to recruit someone of Mark's calibre to help strengthen our position. While the protection market as a whole was under the cosh last year, LV= managed to grow its protection business by 21%. We achieved this by continuing to offer flexible, relevant products, and dependable support for advisers and their customers when they need it."
Whilst some other protection providers' offerings remained stagnant during 2009, LV= bucked the trend by investing heavily in its protection proposition, both in terms of personnel, capacity and by making a large number of enhancements for the benefit of advisers and their clients, including:
- Reducing the premium for critical illness policies where cancer is excluded as a condition - so customers can be sure they only pay for what they get.
- Free Critical Illness cover for all new Income Protection customers - offer ends 31 January 2010.
- An average 5% reduction in premium rates across the entire protection range
- Scrapping the 60 day moratorium period for unemployment cover for clients who switch from an alternative provider to LV='s Mortgage & Lifestyle Protection - offer ends 30 June 2010.
- Rewriting literature and investing in its website to ensure that protection cover is simpler to obtain and easier to understand.
