AALU announced on March 23 that CEO David Stertzer will transition to an advisory role with the association, and that current COO Marc Cadin has been chosen to succeed Stertzer as CEO beginning Sept. 1, 2018. Stertzer and Cadin will continue to work closely together through September. Reston, Va.-based AALU is the leading voice in the United States for the nation’s top life insurance professionals.
“It has been a great privilege to serve this industry and work with so many outstanding leaders for the past 33 years,” Stertzer said. “I am so thankful to our members, and very proud of the work we do to help preserve and protect the financial security of American families and businesses. Representing our professionals in the life insurance community has been the finest honor of my career, but AALU is stronger than ever and ready for fresh leadership to take us to the next level.” Stertzer has been the senior executive leader at AALU for 33 years. During his tenure, AALU grew to become one of the most respected financial services trade associations. Stertzer leaves AALU in a position of great strength, having presided over a 13% compounded growth in annual revenues, 60% growth in membership, and an over 500% increase in operational reserves.
Stertzer, shown above, has worked with 17 Congresses and six White House administrations, which has elevated AALU as a political and policy force on Capitol Hill. Stertzer established innovative programs such as IMPACT, the AALU Ambassadors program (formerly Legislative Circle), and the Issues Alliance partnership, all of which helped AALU manage successful policy outcomes in the areas of inside buildup, business uses of life insurance, the estate tax, tax reform, and deferred compensation and retirement savings.
One of Stertzer’s most enduring legacies will be his tenacious commitment to aligning a fragmented industry under one message for the good of the professionals and clients they serve. This will remain AALU’s focus for the future.
“On behalf of the AALU Board of Directors, I want to thank David for his steadfast leadership over three decades,” said current AALU President Rich DeVita. “He has been a strong advocate for our members, the families and businesses we serve, and the companies who make the products we use to protect people’s financial futures.”
The Board will promote 18-year AALU veteran and current COO Marc Cadin to CEO, effective Sept. 1, 2018.
“Our challenge lies in adapting to a changing business and advocacy environment while keeping AALU’s core commitment to our key members and markets. David Stertzer did an excellent job these last 33 years, and with Marc Cadin succeeding him as CEO, we won’t miss a step.” said David Byers, AALU President-Elect. “One of the board’s key priorities is leadership development, and I am grateful to David.
Stertzer, Rich DeVita, and our past presidents for providing us with an experienced in-house veteran who knows our businesses, shares our values, and is ready to lead from day one.”
Cadin will join the AALU Board as a Director in an ex officio capacity commensurate with his appointment as CEO in September. At the board’s direction, Cadin is leading a strategic planning process centered around membership growth and value. Members will hear more information about this process at the 2018 AALU Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. April 29-May 1. More information on the Annual Meeting can be found at http://www.AALU2018.org.
“I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to build on David Stertzer’s legacy,” said Cadin. “I could not have had a better mentor. I not only learned this business from him, but learned how to be an effective leader by working with him for 18 years. I believe in this profession and the value we create, and I am looking forward to fulfilling the board’s vision for our future.”
About AALU: For over 60 years, AALU has been the most trusted, influential voice for financial professionals and the life insurance community in Washington, D.C. With a singular focus on the issues impacting life insurance products, professionals, and families and businesses who use their products and services to protect the things they love, AALU has a heritage of leadership and success. AALU provides its members with essential tools and services required to help grow their businesses, serve clients well, and protect the life insurance profession. AALU members build strong, personal relationships with key Congressional leaders, network with the most successful professionals in the life insurance markets, and learn from peers and recognized experts. Additional information about AALU can be found at http://www.aalu.org.
Jan Pinney elected to top post at LIDMA
The Life Insurance Direct Marketing Association (LIDMA) recently elected Jan Pinney, CEO of Pinney Insurance Center, Inc., as its 2018 President.
Pinney succeeds Shervin Eftekhari, President of Zander Insurance Group, who remains with the organization as immediate past president.
“The life insurance industry is witnessing a profound modernization in marketing, consumer communications, underwriting and business processes, all of which make LIDMA more relevant than ever,” said Pinney. “LIDMA’s continued mission is to foster and stimulate the critical exchange of information among those life insurance distributors, investors and underwriters who are involved in the direct sales of life insurance to consumers.”
Jan Pinney is CEO of Pinney Insurance Center, Inc., a life insurance sales organization and ISU Francis-Pinney Insurance Services, Inc., a property and casualty agency, both located in Roseville, Calif. Pinney was 2004-2005 President of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors for California where he testified before Assembly and Senate committees on insurance and finance, and from which he received the Distinguished Service Award in 2011.
Pinney has a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Utah, the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) professional designations from The American College, and the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) professional designation from The American Institute for Property and Liability Underwriters. He is a Past-President of the Sacramento Association of Life Underwriters and the Sacrament Suburban Kiwanis Club and served on the Sacramento County Red Tape Task Force and as a founding board member of the Eureka Schools Foundation.
A 43-year life and qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), Pinney also is a 15-year member of MDRT’s Top of the Table and a member of the Association of Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU). He served for 21 years as an elected Trustee of the Roseville Joint Union High School District, where he was board president five times and was honored as recipient of the Placer County Distinguished Trustee Award in 1999, 2003 and 2014.
He is married with 8 children, 21 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren and resides in Granite Bay, Calif.
About LIDMA: LIDMA is the primary association dedicated to supporting businesses and professionals active in direct sales of life insurance products to consumers – the fastest growing sales segment in the life insurance industry. The LIDMA “Seal of Approval,” developed by affiliated carriers, vendors, attorneys, and producers demonstrating compliance with articulated process requirements around e-Delivery, e-Signature and Voice Signature, has become a standard-bearer for a consistent approach to process improvement and positioned LIDMA as the leading life insurance organization in e-Process initiatives The not-for-profit organization is committed to helping members protect more families while boosting their revenues and reducing costs. For more information, visit www.lidma.org.
