SYMETRA NEWSROOM
Symetra’s Benefits Division Appoints Two New Vice Presidents—Voluntary Practice Lead And Life, Disability And Voluntary Underwriting
BELLEVUE, Wash. — (Aug. 31, 2021) — Symetra Life Insurance Company today announced the appointments of two new vice presidents to its group Benefits Division: Craig Deep joins Symetra as vice president, Life, Disability and Voluntary Underwriting, and Michael Estep joins the company as vice president, Voluntary Practice Lead. Both executives report to Lisa Marecki, senior vice president of Symetra’s Life and Disability (LAD) and Select Benefits voluntary benefits product lines.
As Voluntary Practice Lead, Mr. Estep will be responsible for growing Symetra’s presence in the voluntary benefits marketplace, working closely with internal and external partners to drive execution of initiatives already underway and refining the Benefits Division’s ongoing voluntary benefits strategy. Mr. Deep will head all underwriting activities across both the life and disability and voluntary lines with responsibility for profitable growth, working closely with the division’s distribution team and external partners.
“Symetra’s goal is to be a leading and differentiating provider of voluntary products and services that support the diverse needs of employers looking to balance the growing cost of providing benefits to their employees with ensuring access to solutions that meet consumer lifestyle differences, are attractive to multiple generations of workers, and help protect their financial wellbeing. I’m pleased to have Michael and Craig on board to help drive our vision forward,” said Ms. Marecki. “Michael brings a tremendous amount of knowledge around voluntary product development, enrollment strategies and capabilities needed in the marketplace. Craig combines a robust technical background with a proven ability to foster strong partnerships both internally and externally with a creative, solution-oriented approach to profitable and strategic growth.”
Mr. Deep joins Symetra from The Hartford, where he was assistant vice president of priority and regional account underwriting and played an integral role in the integration and conversion of the Aetna Group Insurance acquisition. His extensive benefits background also includes roles at Aetna, where he was senior director, middle market underwriting, responsible for employer groups 3,000 lives and under, and Cigna, where he was national accounts director, focused on growth and persistency through strategic integrated healthcare and disability packaging.
Mr. Estep brings over 20 years’ experience in the group benefits marketplace to his new role at Symetra. Most recently, he was vice president, group product and voluntary practice lead at the Guardian Life Insurance Company, where he led the strategic plan development and build out of the voluntary benefits business, growing their supplemental health block from $50M to $200M over a four-year period. Previously, he was with AIG, where he led their voluntary product management and development team.
Symetra offers group life, disability, absence management and stop loss insurance coverage. Its Select Benefits voluntary product suite includes accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance, as well as GapAssist, a package of accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity benefits designed to complement any other plan, including major medical coverage paired with an HSA.
Earlier this year, Symetra introduced an innovative new critical illness insurance product with a flexible plan design that gives employers the ability to tailor coverage to the needs of their specific workforce. Symetra Critical Illness offers a unique ‘life stage’ approach allowing employees of all ages to get the financial support they need to navigate major life events.
About Symetra
Symetra Financial Corporation is a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent financial professionals and insurance producers.
Contact(s):
Media Relations:
Diana McSweeney
(425) 256-6167
diana.mcsweeney@symetra.com