Jacqui Gillies (pictured), Guardian’s marketing and proposition director, has announced that she will be leaving the industry after 42 years of service.
Gillies joined the company in 2016 and was part of the team that brought Guardian to market two years later.
She plans to leave at the end of December, at which time her direct reports – head of marketing, Rachael Welsh, and head of proposition, Jo Penrose – will report into Hilary Banks, Guardian’s commercial director.
Gillies said: “It’s been an absolute privilege to have been part of Guardian’s hugely exciting journey, from launching the brand back in 2018, to developing our Income Protection and Life Essentials propositions to bolster Guardian’s menu and provide greater choice for advisers and their clients.
“It’s been an honour to see first-hand, as we’ve grown, how our innovative approach has helped so many customers.”
She added: “When I first joined the team, I had no intention of staying so long, and no idea of how far we would come!
“After eight years with Guardian and a 42-year career in financial services, which incidentally started at Guardian in 1982 when it was known as GRE, I’m ready to let the team take on this new strategy for 2025.”
Guardian’s interim CEO, Peter Mann, has set out Guardian’s strategy for 2025.
Guardian plans to move into the next phase of its journey where it will focus on deepening quality relationships with firms and advisers.
Mann said: “Guardian’s seen phenomenal growth year-on-year with some years achieving more than a 40% increase in sales.
“When you consider that in that time, there’s been a pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis, this is a truly remarkable achievement.
“Now our business is maturing, and mindful of the current macroeconomic headwinds, it’s the right time to move away from a focus on rapid scale, to one of consolidation.
“We still intend to grow and to buck the current overall trend of falling protection sales, however there’s also significant value to unlock from the distribution footprint and product set we’ve built.
“The strategy we’ve laid out for 2025 will focus on maximising value while we continue to deliver great outcomes for customers and great service for advisers.”
Mann added: “Jacqui’s contributions have been extremely valuable and we’re very sorry to see her go.
“However, all good things must come to an end, and after 42 years in our industry, we wish her a very well-deserved rest.”
