Partnership, the enhanced annuity specialists, has appointed Mark Stopard as its new head of product development, where he will be responsible for managing Partnership’s suite of existing products as well as identifying and exploiting new opportunities for the business.
Mark joins Partnership from global insurance giant, Sun Life Financial of Canada (SLFC), where he was head of marketing and responsible for strategy and the development and marketing of SLFC’s new business proposition. Prior to this, Mark worked as pensions director for North American insurer The Hartford and head of pension and product research for Origen Financial Services.
Mark has over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, mainly in insurance and pensions.
Jane Kennedy, chief operating officer at Partnership, said: “Mark’s undoubted expertise and history of delivering innovative retirement products will be invaluable in helping Partnership’s growth. We are delighted that someone of Mark’s calibre sees Partnership as an attractive proposition and I am very much looking forward to working with him.”
Mark Stopard added: “I am thrilled to be joining such a dynamic company with such rapid growth. Partnership already has a strong reputation for delivering excellent service and products to its clients, so I hope to build on that and help develop the business accordingly. 2012 will bring significant changes in the retirement market and I am very much looking forward to facing these challenges. Our key focus is the customer and it is important that we help people make the most of their retirement assets. By remaining innovative, Partnership will continue to strive to offer the very best retirement solutions.”
Press Enquiries:
Nigel Barlow, director of product development marketing, Partnership
0845 108 7240
Nigel.Barlow@partnership.co.uk
Jim Boyd, director of corporate affairs, Partnership
0797 345 8675 / 0845 108 7240
jim.boyd@partnership.co.uk
Vaughan Andrewartha, director, Votive Communications
02073539277
vaughan@votive.co.uk
About Partnership
Partnership is a specialist provider of financial solutions for people with health/ lifestyle conditions, as well as those suffering from a serious medical impairment. Partnership was the first company in the UK to offer higher retirement incomes by taking account of people’s health and lifestyle conditions. It has been a consistent innovator developing this sector by championing the needs of those with even modestly reduced life expectancies.
Partnership has led the way in providing products designed specifically for individuals whose health and lifestyle is likely to result in a reduced life expectancy. Partnership is expert in the field of medical underwriting and has a unique in-house data set. Partnership believes that its years of accumulated data and knowledge gives it a unique understanding of the impact of health and lifestyle choices on longevity. This, in turn, enables it to offer the most accurate assessment of a client’s life expectancy and therefore offer the fairest price to them.
Partnership has a comprehensive offering in the retirement sector and offers a complete range of Enhanced Annuity solutions, from clients who smoke or have minor health impairments, through to serious conditions such as cancer. Partnership is the largest provider of annuities for Long Term Care funding in the UK, with 80% of the market. It entered the equity release market this year with an Enhanced Lifetime Mortgage and also offers specialist Protection solutions for clients who have been declined cover from standard providers. Partnership offers a firm commitment to supporting advisers in growing their business.
Partnership has won many awards in addition to heading the Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 250 for leading UK private mid-market companies 2011. These include:
• "Best Enhanced Annuity Provider" - Moneyfacts Awards 2010 & 2011
• 'Long-term Care Provider' award at the Health Insurance Awards 2009, 2010, 2011
• Best Annuity Provider - Professional Adviser Awards 2011
• Simply Biz ‘Annuity Provider of the Year’ Award 2010
• ‘eee-rating’ (the highest possible) for its web-based enhanced annuity platform in the e-Excellence Awards 2010.
• 5 Star rating at the prestigious Financial Adviser Service Awards 2010, 2011