MGM Advantage Shapes its ‘Designs for Retirement’ Team

30-06-2008

Following on from its re-brand as a retirement income specialist, MGM Advantage announces the shape of its new ‘Designs for Retirement’ team. MGM Advantage’s separate operating division now offers enhanced annuities covering a wide spectrum of health conditions. The division offers customers and advisers quicker quotes that are guaranteed for longer than other annuities providers.

MGM Advantage Designs for Retirement is led by Craig Fazzini-Jones, who previously managed HBOS’s annuity brokerage, the largest independent full advice annuity broker in the UK. He has full responsibility for MGM Advantage’s annuity product, its distribution and marketing, reporting to Chief Executive Chris Evans. Craig has a strong background in the life & pensions and retail banking industry, with specialist credentials in annuities. He was previously senior director for Retail Strategy (Europe & North America) at HBOS, and held other senior roles within the Group including Head of Bancassurance Operations and Head of Bank of Scotland Annuity Service (BoSAS).

Reporting into Craig Fazzini-Jones are four new joiners at MGM Advantage.

Eyeedul Haque has been appointed as Proposition Manager at MGM Advantage. Eyeedul joins MGM Advantage from Partnership Assurance. He has broad experience in the annuities market having worked across operations, product management and sales. Eyeedul is an industry specialist and was responsible for developing the Common Quotation Request Form used by all major enhanced annuities providers.

Aston Goodey has been appointed as Sales Director and is expected to join MGM Advantage towards the end of summer, from his current role as Business Development Director at Prudential. Aston has been with Prudential for over 20

years and has held a variety of senior roles in Sales and Finance within the Life & Pensions sector.

Wendy Dines and Mark Hurrell have been appointed as National Account Managers, reporting to Aston Goodey. A specialist in the retirement market, Wendy joins having previously worked for Just Retirement. She has more than 18 years’ experience working with independent financial advisers (IFAs) across the UK. Mark has worked in financial services since 1979, most recently at Partnership Assurance where he held a similar role. He has previously worked with AXA, Scottish Provident and Swiss Life.

Craig Fazzini-Jones, Head of MGM Advantage Designs for Retirement said: “We intend to become one of the top three providers of enhanced annuities in the shortest possible time, and we now have a heavy-hitting team in place to help us achieve this goal. The team we have assembled is united in the belief that people aren’t getting the deal they deserve when they retire. Two thirds of UK consumers with maturing pensions still don’t shop around to make sure they get the right product at the right price, and we aim to put this right.

“The response to our enhanced annuity has been tremendous. The experience and innovation we have on board is helping us to achieve early results that are exceeding our expectations.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

History: Based in Sussex, the life assurer opened its doors in 1852 as Marine and General Mutual Life Assurance Society, to fill the poorly-met insurance needs of seafarers and traders.

About MGM Advantage: mgmadvantage.com
MGM Advantage is a new name in the UK retirement income market. Formerly known as MGM Assurance, the company repositioned itself as MGM Advantage in June 2008, when it launched a wholly-owned business unit called MGM Advantage

Designs for Retirement to focus on annuity sales and the wider retirement income market. MGM has been registered longer than any other company in the UK. It is a mutual society owned by its with profit policyholders, and manages assets in excess of £1.6 billion. MGM Advantage’s commitment to customer satisfaction is backed up by a customer charter, which promises high quality service and ease of mind.

MGM Advantage distributes its products through independent financial advisers (IFAs) across the UK.

MGM Advantage Designs for Retirement, MGM Advantage and the MGM Assurance logos are Trade Marks of Marine and General Mutual Life Assurance Society.

For further information contact:

Clea Bourne Out of hours: 07980 819 543
Flagship Consulting Weekday: 020 7886 8447
clea.bourne@flagshipconsulting.co.uk

Will Brewster Switchboard: 020 7886 8440
Flagship Consulting
Will.brewster@flagshipconsulting.co.uk