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Friends Provident has appointed Mark Jones as head of protection marketing, the FTSE 100 life and pensions company announced.

The move comes after Friends' strategic review highlighted that protection was to be one of the focuses of the UK business. Mr Jones said that despite a weakened protection sector it was still attractive if the provider gets the proposition right: "However the market is very competitive. The secret was to get the experience right for the adviser, price is important but it is the whole proposition that is the key. We offer the adviser face-to-face and remote support, the sales teams work out what is best for the adviser."

He said a main concern was the length of time it took to get the proposition on the books, especially waiting for the general practitioner report: "A lot of providers have streamlined the process by using tele-interviewing to replace the medical reports for income protection.

"We are trying to make it as easy as possible for the distributor while offering quality products at reasonable prices."

An important development at Friends is that advisers and their clients can talk directly to the group's underwriters, this lessens the amount of things that can go wrong: "IFAs need to be very well equipped at the point of sale, then if the claim occurs you have to take care it is dealt with efficiently and fairly.

"We are selling promises and the client needs to know it will be kept, so the provider must do everything possible to avoid non-disclosure."

On the strategic review he said it was a process that was necessary and it has endorsed protection as core for the company.

Friends' long-awaited strategic review called for a radical overhaul of the business to focus on its core operations in UK life and pensions with a strong emphasis on its overseas business. The review cited: no further development to the firm's wrap platform; the sale of its three wealth managers, including F&C Management; and a reduction in the number of jobs of about 600. Mr Jones will responsible for driving the protection business to retain the group's strong market share.