[Hiring] Head of Distribution Strategy @Guardian Life Insurance

Role Description

The Head of Distribution Strategy partners with the Head of Distribution to convert the enterprise distribution strategy into an actionable growth plan. This role determines how and where the organization will compete, evaluates expansion opportunities, develops data-supported business cases, and coordinates execution across business lines and enabling functions. It serves as a strategic connector across various departments to align investments, capabilities, governance, and implementation priorities that support sustainable and profitable growth.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in distribution strategy, sales strategy, enterprise strategy, or a related discipline within broker-dealer, RIA, insurance, wealth management, or financial services environments.
• Demonstrated experience translating senior-leader strategy into enterprise plans, market choices, investment priorities, business cases, and implementation roadmaps.
• Proven success working across sales, PO growth & development, wealth management, product, technology, CRM, marketing, operations, finance, risk, and compliance functions.
• Experience using integrated market and business data to evaluate growth opportunities and support strategic recommendations.
• Working knowledge of CRM platforms, data integration, analytics, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Exceptional executive communication, PowerPoint development, strategic storytelling, and stakeholder-influence skills.

Requirements

• Own the translation of the Head of Distribution’s strategic direction into an integrated enterprise plan, business cases, sequenced priorities, and execution roadmaps.
• Focus on enterprise strategy, market choices, cross-business alignment, and investment decisions rather than the day-to-day creation of seller-facing dashboards, targeting tools, and CRM insights led by Sales Enablement.
• Partner with Risk and Compliance to understand regulatory and suitability boundaries.
• Convert the distribution strategy established by the Head of Distribution into a practical plan that defines where to play, how to compete, and which capabilities and investments are required.
• Translate business objectives into strategic initiatives, implementation plans, governance structures, KPIs, and execution roadmaps.
• Coordinate priorities across business lines and establish shared accountability for enterprise growth objectives.
• Assess market, customer, advisor, competitor, and business-line data to identify additional markets and growth opportunities.
• Understand how data from available tools and systems is integrated, evaluate the quality and relevance of the evidence, and use it to inform strategic choices.
• Develop data-supported business cases that articulate opportunity size, strategic rationale, investment requirements, risks, dependencies, and expected business value.
• Build a strong understanding of each business line to determine where enterprise distribution capabilities can connect, create value, and unlock growth.
• Partner with various departments to align strategy, investments, and execution priorities.
• Drive technology and platform integration priorities that improve distribution effectiveness and advisor and customer experiences.
• Define the strategic capabilities, data connections, and business requirements that Distribution needs from CRM and related platforms.
• Promote consistent data definitions, integration, quality, and governance across distribution and operational systems.
• Identify regulatory, risk, compliance, and suitability considerations that may affect strategic options or implementation plans.
• Create executive-level presentations, white papers, strategic recommendations, and board-ready materials that clearly frame choices and recommended actions.
• Lead change across functions by building alignment, resolving dependencies, and maintaining momentum from strategy through implementation.

Benefits

• Support and flexibility to achieve professional and personal goals.
• Skill-building, leadership development, and philanthropic opportunities.
• Contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources.