Guardian has hired Carlton Hood as CEO.
He will join the insurer on 1 May from Responsible Life where he was CEO, subject to regulatory approvals.
Current interim CEO and chairman since 2018 Peter Mann will be stepping into the position of non-executive chairman.
Mann succeeded Katya McLean, who stepped down back in September.
Hood will be responsible for leading the next phase in Guardian’s journey and delivering the strategy announced by Peter Mann in October 2024, which has lower growth targets and aims to work with fewer intermediary firms.
As a result, Health & Protection revealed Guardian was consulting on staff redundancies as part of its 2025 strategy to reduce growth targets.
Mann told Health & Protection that since launch the insurer had been focused on establishing the brand, product development and forming adviser relationships.
But he added its focus would move to cutting growth targets to the low double digits, as opposed to its current 40% growth rate.
Leading executive team
Hood (pictured) will lead Guardian’s executive team consisting of chief operating officer Duncan Mosely, chief financial officer Nischal Singh, commercial director Hilary Banks, and group chief technology officer Ruth Starsmeare.
Hood was most recently group CEO of Responsible Life, an equity release broker and lender which is part of Royal London.
He has also previously held the role of chief customer officer at Old Mutual, now Quilter, where he launched major new investment and protection solutions; and before that was CEO of Confused.com.
Mann said: “The board and I are delighted to welcome Carlton to Guardian. His experience of driving growth and shareholder value, hand-in-hand with ensuring the right customer outcomes, make him a perfect fit for the next phase of Guardian’s journey.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with him at Old Mutual, now Quilter, and his motivation and commitment are second-to-none. We look forward to benefitting from his proven track record of growing businesses in challenging market conditions and building teams that put customers first.”
Hood added: “I’ve always believed that financial services, done right, can transform lives. Protection is one of the most powerful examples of this.
“The UK life insurance market needs fresh thinking – not just to meet regulatory requirements like Consumer Duty or because of the protection market study – but to redefine how protection works for customers and for advisers. Guardian has already built a reputation for service excellence and product innovation.
“Now, the next stage is to turn that strength into sustainable market leadership. I’m excited to join the team for the next stage of Guardian’s journey, ensuring we stay ahead of change and continue to raise the bar for customer outcomes in the industry.”
