General Purpose

Operating within the core values and operating principles of the AAA organization, the Vice President, Agent Sales and Distribution for AAA Life will lead the Company’s agent sales and retention strategies and will manage and strengthen club relationships across the country.  This position includes oversight of training and field communications to grow suitable life and annuity product lines. This leader will serve as a key partner to the CEO and CMO and will provide vision, policy, strategy and direction for the department. The Company will depend on this leader's enterprise and industry view and counsel. 

Position Responsibilities

• Develop strategies to drive Growth and Retention of Agents
• Guide Agent Training for all products, systems & policies
• Develops strategies to drive Productivity improvements
• Develop plans and implements field agent strategies to grow sales and improve business quality.
• Lead external face-to-face distribution support.
• Anticipate and interpret internal and/or external business challenges, and work across agency field organization to ensure that strong partnerships with Alliance and Independent Club partners are fully optimized.
• Provide strategic leadership to accomplish business goals, maximize growth and strengthen AAA Life’s producer footprint to serve as trusted advisors in offering competitive, needs-based insurance solutions to all AAA Life customers.
• Leverage in-depth life insurance industry and leadership knowledge to develop and implement the sales vision and strategy across the agency, Alliance and independent club organizations.
• Play key leadership role in strategic planning activities for AAA Life in partnership with senior level executives. Serve the CMO and CEO as a key advisor on emerging industry developments, competitive distribution intelligence and trends, and organizational challenges and opportunities.
• Expand strategies to cultivate diverse advisor/distribution networks in line with business goals.
• Engage with Alliance and Independent club management to ensure alignment and sequencing of strategic distribution footprint is established and fulfilled.
• Elicit views and perspectives across the field organization to identify market trends and consumer needs. Partner accordingly with leadership team to influence product strategy and design. 
• Provide leadership and a collaborative environment to support business needs of the field, including strengthening relationships across functions to enable successful execution of sales strategies (operations, technology, marketing, and product).
• Develop, plan and organize sales support functions for the department and oversee its day-to-day implementation.
• Provide guidance to ensure product, marketing and distribution support is aligned with AAA Life’s profit goals, corporate image and compliance practices.
• Build collaborative relationships with executive and professional staff in all areas of the Company as leader of product initiatives.
• Stay ahead of current trends and developments in the field and broader market by reading appropriate materials, attending seminars, conferences, etc.

Field Agent Relationship & Support

• Develops plans and implements field agent strategies to grow sales and improve business quality.
• Oversees and provides leadership for all agent field support activities including agent training, marketing and sales support materials, field-related corporation communications, internal telephone sales support and external face-to-face distribution support.
• Directs marketing, field communication training and sales support to effectively implement and support the product and distribution strategies for the field agent channel.
• Builds and maintains productive relationships with Alliance and Independent club management personnel.
• Builds and maintain productive relationships with Alliance and Independent club management personnel.
• Maintains compliance with all laws and regulations and company rules that govern the business.

Core Competencies

Achieves Results/Has Bias for Action – achieves stretch results.  Strong bias for action with sense of urgency and high energy.  Practices collaborative working environment to achieve more.

Customer Focus – has ability to look from customer’s view.  Viewed as business partner by external and internal customers.  Anticipates customer needs to ensure no barriers to doing business.

Uses Effective Communication Skills – candid, clear and concise in communication.  Effectively matches style, tone and method to audience.  Connects with intended audience.  Manages communication and feedback within the organization.

Displays Leadership/Team Orientation – works collaboratively to achieve organization’s success.  Effectively uses position and interpersonal skills, mobilizes and inspires others to take action (situational leadership).  Willing and able to lead beyond area of expertise.

Talent Management – provides positive coaching.  Actively engages staff in challenging assignments.  Holds self and others to high standards.  Identifies and hires high potential.  Takes action on non-performers

Technical/Professional Skills – hold self and others to high standards.  Strives to stay ahead of technical/professional expertise, is proactive and inspires others to stay current in areas of technical expertise.

Strategic Effectiveness – demonstrates an organization-wide perspective and creates a shared vision and purpose.

Business Management – demonstrates sound business principles and planning processes and defines and measures results.

Required Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• MBA or other graduate studies a plus.
• Professional designations such as CLU and ChFC are desired but not required.
• Extensive experience in increasingly responsible management positions within financial services companies with extensive knowledge of the product development process and all aspects of marketing and distribution support.

Skills

• Expert knowledge of life insurance and annuity products, as well as, product management.
• Understands how life and annuity products are marketed.
• Working with key technical and business areas related to product, marketing and distribution support.
• Strong knowledge of life insurance and annuity profit drivers.
• General knowledge of financial planning and advanced sales.
• Commands respect due to depth and breadth of industry knowledge.
• Collaborative, team-oriented.
• Personable style; easily engages with others at all levels.

Work Environment

Works in a temperature controlled office environment.

May occasionally require long days.

Travel as required to support business activities.

Essential Job Functions

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

This job requires the ability to perform duties contained in the job description for this position, including, but not limited to, the above requirements.  Reasonable accommodations will be made for otherwise qualified applicants as needed to enable them to fulfill these requirements.