US mutual life insurer New York Life has appointed Wykeeta Peel as market manager of its African American Market Unit (AAMU).
Peel will be responsible for developing and executing New York Life’s targeted recruiting, sales, and marketing campaigns within the Black community on a national scale.
She will continue to lead the Women’s Market strategy for New York Life as well.
The AAMU unit is made up of a team of managers and agents focused on financially empowering and uplifting Black communities by creating generational wealth, the insurer said.
Its support includes culturally relevant material, mentoring, study groups, workshops and conferences, sharing of best practices, and preparing personal business development plans.
Peel succeeds Eric Jackson, who is now head of diversity, equity, and inclusion for agency where he leads efforts focused on equity and inclusion, talent, and advancing social justice causes.Peel said: “New York Life has a long history of hiring, training, and developing successful Black agents and managers, and today has one of the largest African American sales forces in the life insurance industry.“The AAMU’s mission centres on raising financial literacy in our local communities, many of whom are underserved, and increasing the understanding of financial tools and strategies that have been underutilised and underleveraged within our market for decades.”
Mark Madgett, head of agency at New York Life, added: “The AAMU continues to play a major role in the success and growth of New York Life’s field force.
“Building on the AAMU’s momentum is vital and in Wykeeta we have a proven leader who has a keen understanding of the financial issues most relevant to the Black community.
“She also brings insights gained from her work as a core member of our Social Justice Steering Committee over the past 18 months.”