Hood will take up the position in May, joining from equity release broker Responsible Life, where he has been the group chief executive for five-and-a-half years.
His previous experience also includes three years as chief executive of Confused.com and two-and-a-half years as group customer director at Old Mutual, now Quilter, where he launched investment and protection solutions and then continued to work there for three more years.
He also worked at Old Mutual’s business in South Africa, The Telegraph and Bolton Consulting Group.
In his role at Guardian, Hood will lead the company’s executive team consisting of Duncan Mosely, chief operating officer, Nischal Singh, CFO, Hilary Banks, commercial director, and Ruth Starsmeare, group chief technology officer.
Peter Mann, current interim chief executive of Guardian and chair since 2018, will depart from his role in the position of non-executive chair.
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Mann said: “The board and I are delighted to welcome Carlton to Guardian. His experience of driving growth and shareholder value, hand in hand with ensuring the right customer outcomes, make him a perfect fit for the next phase of Guardian’s journey.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with him at Old Mutual, now Quilter, and his motivation and commitment are second to none. We look forward to benefitting from his proven track record of growing businesses in challenging market conditions and building teams that put customers first.”
Hood (pictured) said: “I’ve always believed that financial services, done right, can transform lives. Protection is one of the most powerful examples of this. The UK life insurance market needs fresh thinking – not just to meet regulatory requirements like Consumer Duty or because of the Protection Market Study, but to redefine how protection works for customers and for advisers. Guardian has already built a reputation for service excellence and product innovation.
“Now, the next stage is to turn that strength into sustainable market leadership. I’m excited to join the team for the next stage of Guardian’s journey, ensuring we stay ahead of change and continue to raise the bar for customer outcomes in the industry.”
