Mark Wilkerson Joins OneAmerica and State Life
Thirty-year veteran will lead enterprise initiative, bolster State Life's standing as industry leader in asset-based long-term care
Indianapolis -- March 6, 2007
OneAmerica announced today that Mark A. Wilkerson, CFP®, has joined its affiliate, The State Life Insurance Company, as executive vice president, effective March 5, 2007. Wilkerson comes to OneAmerica following 16 years with the Columbus Life Insurance Company, most recently as senior vice president and chief marketing officer.
As executive vice president for State Life, Wilkerson will lead a strategy to expand upon the company's strong asset-based (LTC) product portfolio. The company will continue to focus on the needs of the senior market with integrated products that allow customers to leverage their retirement planning assets. In addition, Wilkerson will lead efforts to build relationships with marketing organizations that focus on the retirement market.
In addition to his role with State Life, Wilkerson will also lead a new initiative at the enterprise level. He will work with OneAmerica leadership to develop products and services that help create new and flexible wealth management solutions for customers intent on meeting their retirement goals.
"We are very excited to have Mark as a part of the OneAmerica family, said Dayton H. Molendorp, chairman, president and CEO. His 30 years of experience in the financial services industry will be invaluable as we build on our 18 years of leadership in providing asset-based long-term care to the growing senior market."
After joining Columbus Life as regional vice president in 1990, he was promoted to vice president of agencies two years later before assuming the position of senior vice president and chief marketing officer in 1994.
"Dick Merrill and the State Life team have built an incredible foundation," said Wilkerson. "With a 50 percent increase in Annuity Care sales, the future is looking bright for more and more of our senior customers. I'm excited to be a part of it."
According to Merrill, president of State Life, the addition of Wilkerson was the right move at the right time. "Mark's well-rounded skills and experience make him the ideal person for this position," said Merrill. "He has a thorough understanding of nearly every aspect of the industry, including sales, marketing, agency relationships and product distribution. Together with his strategic vision, these are attributes that will serve our customers well in the future."
State Life's lifetime LTC coverage with guaranteed premiums provides policyholders with a quality value proposition and peace of mind. And, as a result of the changes brought by the Pension Protection Act of 2006, State Life's Annuity Care product, an annuity with long term care coverage, was updated three years ahead of schedule to provide a significant tax advantage for customers who file claims after Jan. 1, 2010 (the date the provisions take effect).
About State Life
With the acquisition of Golden Rule Financial Services (GRFS) division in October 2005, The State Life Insurance Company is now the exclusive wholesaler of the Care Solutions® portfolio, including: Asset-Care® (life insurance with LTC benefits), Annuity Care® (annuity with LTC benefits), ImmediateCare® (immediate annuity for individuals currently receiving long-term care) and Legacy Care® (senior-focused deferred annuity). These products are still issued through Golden Rule in states where the State Life portfolio has not yet received state approval.
About OneAmerica
OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc., is headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. The companies of OneAmerica can trace their solid foundations back more than 125 years in the insurance and financial services marketplace.
OneAmerica's nationwide network of companies offers a variety of products to serve the financial needs of their policyholders and other clients. These products include retirement plans, products and services; individual life insurance, annuities, long-term care solutions and employee benefits. The goal of OneAmerica is to blend the strengths of each company to achieve greater collective results.
The products of the OneAmerica companies are distributed through a network of employees, agents, brokers, and other distribution sources who are committed to maximizing value to our policyholders by helping them plan to meet their financial goals.
