BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To better meet the needs of a dynamic retirement marketplace, Symetra Life Insurance Company today announced changes to its retirement sales and distribution organization. Rich LaVoice has been named executive vice president, Retirement Distribution Strategy. Wes Severin has been promoted to senior vice president, Retirement Distribution. Andrew Farrell will take on an expanded role as vice president, national sales manager. The appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2018.
In his new role, LaVoice will focus on expanding Symetra’s retirement distribution channels beyond the company’s traditional bank, independent broker-dealer and wirehouse relationships, while Severin will have responsibility for the division’s sales, sales operations, relationship management, product marketing and business technology teams. Both executives report to Dan Guilbert, executive vice president of Symetra’s Individual Life and Retirement Divisions. Farrell, who will lead Symetra’s internal and external sales teams, will report to Severin.
“Rich has been an integral part of the Retirement Division’s incredible growth and track record of success since he joined the company in 2010. Under his leadership, Symetra has firmly established its place in the bank distribution channel and grown into an industry leader in the fixed indexed annuity (FIA) space. His new role leverages his talent for blazing new distribution paths and helps expand Symetra’s reach and presence in the marketplace,” said Dan Guilbert. “As national sales manager, Wes has been instrumental in leading our relationship management and external sales teams through a high-growth period that established our position in the fixed annuity and FIA markets. His drive, leadership and strategic approach make him an ideal choice for this role.”
LaVoice joined Symetra in 2010 as executive vice president, Sales and Distribution. He had previously served as corporate vice president and national sales manager of Retirement Income at MassMutual Financial Group. He has specialized in selling life insurance and investment products throughout his 35-year career, holding sales leadership positions at UBS Financial Services, Inc., SunAmerica Retirement Markets, Inc., Bear Stearns & Co., and Shearson/Smith Barney. LaVoice earned a bachelor’s degree in legal studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Severin joined Symetra in March 2011 as western divisional sales manager for retirement products and was promoted to vice president of national sales the following year. Prior to Symetra, Severin was national sales director of financial institution markets at Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company in Denver. He previously was a financial advisor with Simmers Capital Management. Severin received a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Colorado State University.
Farrell joined Symetra in 2010 as AVP, director of Retirement Sales. He was named vice president in 2011, with responsibility for retirement sales development. Farrell joined Symetra from MassMutual Financial Group, where he had most recently been director of Retirement Sales. He is a graduate of Regis University in Denver, Colorado.
About Symetra
Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent agents and advisors. For more information, visit www.symetra.com.
