The Future of Protection

John Pollock

Group Executive Director, Legal & General

Biography

John joined L&G in 1980 as a trainee computer programmer after graduating with a BSc in Geography/Geology from Strathclyde University in Glasgow. John spent 10 years in IT before moving to the front-line business in 1990.

After 2 years running the Individual Pensions area during the early boom, he was appointed to run the customer service operations for L&G Life & Pensions in Hove. In this role in pursuit of Total Quality, John drove significant business process re-engineering, and IT resulting in being awarded the Institute of Administrative Management award for TQ Management.

In 1994 John was appointed to develop a new employed sales channel, integrating 3 disparate channels and establishing the L&G Mortgage Club which has gone on to account for over 8% of UK mortgage lending in 2010.

In 1996, John moved to Sydney, Australia as Managing Director L&G Asia, exploring emerging market opportunities, building businesses in Indonesia and Egypt before returning to the UK in 1999 as Managing Director, L&G Healthcare and Product Director for UK Protection and GI.

In 2000 after a corporate reorganisation John was appointed to the UK board with responsibility for the L&G Service Operations with a team of 3,500 staff across 3 primary locations and in 2003 was appointed to the Group board as Group Executive Director, Product & Corporate. In 2006, John took board responsibility for the Insurance businesses of L&G, incorporating Individual and Group protection, General Insurance, L&G Network and Annuities including both individual and bulk buy-outs.

John is a member of the Life Insurance Committee of the ABI and Chairs the Distribution & Regulation Committee of the ABI and is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

John is married with 2 daughters, is the ex-captain of L&G Rugby, represented L&G at tennis, table tennis and bridge, is a trust member of the Children's Trust Charity and is President of Legal & General's Sports and Social Association.

Steve Payne

Managing Director of Protection, Friends Life

Biography

Steve joined Bupa in 2004 to head up the Individual Protection business within BHA. In November, 2008, Steve became responsible for the Group Risk business of BHA as well. 

Then in June 2011 after a merger with Friends Life in October 2010, Steve became the Managing Director, UK Protection within Friends Life.  Responsible for developing and implementing the strategy for Individual and Group Protection business across all channels and distributors / business partners in the UK.

Steve is a Qualified Actuary with a strong Risk product background gained through Reassurance experience. Steve is also a member of the ABI Protection strategy Committee, and is on the Board of ILAG and in 2011 became Chairman.

Steve has 16 years of Reassurance experience with companies that are now trading as SCOR Global Life, and Hannover Re. Steve was Deputy CEO of Revios (now SCOR) prior to joining Bupa in 2004. Steve's prior roles included heading up the Client Management, Pricing and Marketing areas.

Mark Jones

Head of Protection, LV=

Biography

Mark has been in the insurance industry for over 20 years. His career started at Abbey Life, the direct sales operation, where he qualified as an actuary. He then moved to Friends Provident where he became head of protection gaining experience of the IFA and mortgage market, before moving to Bournemouth based LV= at the end of 2009. Mark is a protection specialist with a passion for increasing the market, rather than just competing for those consumers who currently recognise their need for protection.

Marco Forato

Chief Marketing Officer, Unum

Biography

Marco provides strategic direction and oversight to drive and support Unum's market development and growth objectives, working within the business and with distribution partners to raise awareness of the need for financial protection amongst UK workers, and to provide employee benefits solutions for employers.

Marco previously held a senior role at Unum US and, prior to that, worked in strategic brand and marketing development for global organizations with roles in WPP, London and IPG in the USA. His expertise also includes management consultancy, with roles at Booz Allen & Hamilton in Brazil and Mitchell Madison Group in New York.

Marco holds an MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from E.E. Mauá in São Paulo, Brazil.