Rob Carr has announced he is leaving retirement to join Guardian Financial Services in the role of adviser development manager.
Mr Carr, who retired from the protection industry in April, is set to return next week to help the protection challenger Guardian launch into the market.
Guardian is operated by Gryphon Group Holdings, which in June 2017 announced it had raised £180m from the city to design, build and launch a protection challenger.
Mr Carr said he could not resist the excitement of a new company for the second time in his 37-year career, having thought his first challenge of launching a new entrant in the protection market, with Bright Grey in 2003, would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
He said: "It is brilliant to have the chance to be involved again - I suppose that means I have actually been on a sort of sabbatical this summer, rather than retirement.
"The market is receptive to new ideas and new approaches -you will not look at all out of place coming in proposing new ways of doing things, in the way it might have been the case 20 years ago.
"There is certainly space for a new player and when Guardian delivers on its promises, it will do very well."
Mike Devaney, head of strategic partnerships at Guardian, said Mr Carr’s appointment is a clear sign of the firm’s commitment to working in partnership with distributor partners to support a mutual ambition of growing the protection market.
He said: "Having worked with Rob for many years, I know he is best in class when it comes to engaging advisers and telling stories that can motivate them to embrace protection as part of their advice process.
"We have a massive task of educating the market around the innovative proposition we have launched, and there is more to come this year and next - therefore, it is great to have Rob as part of my team and I know his appointment will be welcomed by our key strategic partners.’"
Andy Peters, distribution director at Guardian, said "Rob’s passion for protection and the adviser sector is unrivalled and I am delighted to have him join the business at this critical stage of our market entry."
rachel.addison@ft.com
