BENEFIT ADVISORS NETWORK CREATES ALLIANCE PARTNERSHIP
The Principal Financial Group, Sun Life, and Unum Are First to Join
Click HERE for a podcast from Employee Benefit Magazine featuring our Chief Marketing Officer discussing the attributes and benefits of our Alliance Partnership Program - new partnerships, new ventures, new growth.
PRESS RELEASE CLEVELAND, OH (9/22/09) --- The Principal Financial Group, Sun Life, and Unum are the first members of Benefit Advisors Network’s (BAN) newly formed Alliance Partnership.
“The Alliance Partnership brings a full array of resources and product solutions to BAN member firms. These solutions can be tailored to meet specific client needs, while helping members to create exclusive marketing solutions to differentiate themselves in their marketplace,” says BAN Director Deane Elek.
BAN is the premier national network of independent benefit advisory and consulting companies. BAN’s members, known as Smart Partners®, are widely regarded as the ‘best of the best’ in their respective markets.
In addition to providing Smart Partners® with the ability to pick and choose top-line resources, as well as co-brand or private label client solutions, the Alliance Partnership will generate revenue which BAN will use to develop additional tools, services, and resources for its members.
The Principal, Sun Life Financial, and Unum’s participation in the Alliance Partnership enables them to leverage the collective strength of BAN’s growing membership and aggregate blocks of business and new sales volumes.
"We see this as a means to share and exchange knowledge and best practices with others who know the industry inside and out,” said Andy Frantz, regional vice president of sales for the Principal Financial Group. “We value our relationship with BAN, Smart Partners®, and members of the Alliance Partnership.”
"We joined the Alliance Partnership program because we know BAN does their due diligence before an organization can become a member or partner,” says Drew Niziak, Executive Vice President and Director of Sales, Sun Life Financial Employee Benefits Group. “Their network provides us with valuable industry contacts, all of whom have an ethical approach to business, a deep knowledge of the industry, and are committed to providing high quality service.”
"The economy is creating unique challenges in the marketplace today,” adds John Stibal at Unum. “The ability to see how others prospect for new business, market their firms, and handle current industry issues is priceless.”
BAN recently announced plans to expand into 21 additional markets across the country. Unlike many other industry organizations, BAN only selects one firm per market or market segment to join the organization. That unique structure and philosophy allow members to share best practices, unencumbered by concern about the presence of their competitors.
Partially as a result of that market exclusivity and BAN’s peer-to-peer sharing of best practices, resources, and world-class services, BAN members produce 65% higher revenues per employee than their peers, according to a recent survey.
About Benefit Advisors Network
Benefit Advisors Network is a federated association of benefits brokers who leverage their combined size to bring employers the right solutions at competitive prices. Together they represent more than 10,000 employer groups and 8.5 million employees. For more information about Benefit Advisors Network contact Director Deane Elek at (440) 528-0301 or visit the organization’s website at www.benefitadvisorsnetwork.com.
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Insurance products and services offered by Principal Life Insurance Company, a member of the Principal Financial Group®.
Unum is one of the leading providers of employee benefits products and services, and the largest provider of group and individual disability insurance, in the United States. Through its subsidiaries, Unum paid $6 billion in total benefits to customers in 2008.
Sun Life Financial is the marketing name for Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF; TSX: SLF), including its insurance company affiliates that offer insurance products and services marketed through the Employee Benefits Group division.
Benefit Advisors Network. Smart Partners. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.