Prosperity Life Group has created the role of president of retail life and annuity, appointing senior annuity distribution leader Rona Guymon (pictured) to lead an aggressive expansion of its retail franchise.
In the newly established position, Guymon will be responsible for growing Prosperity's retail life and annuity business, overseeing all retail distribution, including national accounts and marketing, and sharpening the carrier's competitive product and new business focus to capture greater market share.
The appointment comes as competition for retirement and protection flows intensifies, with insurers, asset managers and private‑equity‑backed platforms all vying for shelf space and adviser attention in the life and annuity market. Backed by JAB Insurance, Prosperity has been signaling ambitions to scale its retail franchise, and the creation of a dedicated retail presidency marks a further step in that evolution.
Guymon joins from Nationwide, where she most recently served as senior vice president of annuity distribution. In that role, she was responsible for annuity distribution across all major channels, including broker‑dealers, banks, independent marketing organizations, registered investment advisers and technology platforms. Under her leadership, her team implemented significant structural changes aimed at delivering best‑in‑class efficiency while consistently exceeding sales targets.
Before Nationwide, Guymon spent 13 years at Protective Life in progressively senior posts, including vice president of business development, national sales manager, divisional sales manager and regional wholesaler. Her background spans marketing, operations, training and sales across mutual funds, annuities and life insurance, experience Prosperity is now betting will translate into broader and deeper distribution for its own product suite.
For intermediaries, Guymon’s remit is likely to translate into a more visible Prosperity presence across broker‑dealer, bank, RIA and IMO shelves, as well as potential refreshes to the carrier’s annuity and life line‑ups to better match platform and adviser demand. Her Nationwide experience in building multichannel, digitally enabled distribution suggests a sharper focus on tools, ease of doing business and targeted support for firms looking to grow protection and retirement income sales.
Commenting on her appointment, Guymon said: “I am honored to join Prosperity Life Group at such an exciting time in the company's growth journey. The combination of Prosperity Life Group's strong product portfolio, commitment to financial professionals, and the strategic support of JAB Insurance creates a tremendous platform for growth.”
Looking ahead, Prosperity’s decision to create a dedicated retail life and annuity presidency, and to tap a high‑profile distribution leader from a top‑tier competitor, signals its intent to compete more aggressively for adviser mindshare, shelf space and annuity and life flows across broker‑dealer, bank, RIA and IMO channels over the next cycle.
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