Holloway Friendly has appointed Ben Pears as its new chief executive officer (CEO) to begin on 24 June, replacing Stuart Tragheim.
Pears (pictured) joins from Unity Mutual where he was insurance director for for the last year, having previously been director of sales and marketing.
He has a 27-year career in financial services with previous CEO experience from Kingston Unity Friendly Society and Synergy Financial Products.
Pears’s career also included roles in analysis, strategy and communications, financial advice, consultancy and directorship working at Aviva, Coutts, Clydesdale Bank and Barclays.
Health & Protection reported in February that Stuart Tragheim was stepping down as CEO of the income protection provider after seven and a half years in the role.
The mutual also appointed chief operating officer (COO) Suzy Esson to its board as an executive director.
Esson has been with the mutual for seven years having started as head of operations in May 2017, before becoming director of operations and now COO.
She previously spent 11 years as at Lincoln Financial Group and more than 14 years with Capita Life & Pensions in a range of claims and underwriting roles.
Five-year strategy
Gloucester-based Holloway Friendly said it has recently developed a new five-year strategy which Pears will help to deliver.
Pears said it was a great time to join the mutual.
“It’s been through a transformative journey of growth and modernisation, including distribution, systems, proposition and brand,“ he said.
“I’m very much looking forward to leading the team on the next stage of the journey and delivering their growth strategy.
“There’s a real focus on service, value for their members, and helping distributors get more clients protected – as you’d expect from a mutual.
“But there’s clearly an appetite both to build on their core offering, and to find new and alternative ways to grow and differentiate themselves, too.”
Derek Wright, chairman and interim CEO said: “We’re delighted to welcome Ben to Holloway Friendly.
“He brings a wealth of diverse experience from the mutual sector and beyond, together with a real energy and a desire to make a difference.
“The business today is unrecognisable from the Holloway Friendly of 2016, when we began our transformation journey.
“We look forward to Ben’s leadership as we begin the next chapter of our strategy.”
