LFI Group appoints national sales manager

LFI general manager Dean Cullen, said Mr Arkell’s appointment was a welcome development for the business.

Mr Cullen commented: “With Kevin overseeing national sales, brokers will have an experienced team to tap into for guidance and support. Understanding how insurance can help customers as an integral part of the loan process is a big part of why brokers do business with us again and again.”

Speaking to The Adviser about his appointment, Mr Arkell said: “Now is the time to put a sales team on the ground and there is no better time like the present to grow our profile within our third-party distribution network and get the LFI message out there; we have simple, seamless general insurance products that offer truly integrated customer experiences.”

He added: “Most of the other players in this market have a referral model, but we don’t. We want to get our brokers talking about this at the point of sale, and getting them confident in selling this proposition and making a true solution for their customers to protect their mortgage.

“There's probably no greater benefit or reward than helping a customer protect that mortgage, especially if it comes in useful under sad or difficult circumstances; that person would have been in a much worse position had they not had that offer to them to protect that mortgage in the event of loss, disability or unemployment.

“Hearing some of the sad stories that brokers have told me, and from personal experience knowing friends that have had life events and hadn’t had their mortgage protected, have all been part of my motive for taking this role on.

“It's something that I really do believe in and I’m so proud that I’m part of the LFI Group, which falls under the Liberty umbrella.” 

Mr Arkell signalled that there would be more appointments to follow, with LFI looking to add a number of state-based sales managers across the country.

“We recognise the importance of meeting the needs of our business partners, so we’re recruiting now to ensure brokers continue getting the best service from LFI,” he said.

The insurance company has recently refreshed its brand and upgraded its website.

Mr Arkell commented: “By providing tools that help educate customers about our products and services, we’re making the role of the broker that little bit easier.

“It’s such an exciting time because we are growing our business, our team and our online presence. Seeing customers benefit while our brokers grow their businesses is the ultimate win-win.”

[Related: Brokers receive enhanced loan protection offering]