Life Insurance Direct Marketing Association (LIDMA) Announces Leadership Changes: Shervin Eftekhari Named President; Tom Grant, Denis Clifford, Eric Lester, Elected to Board of Directors
Industry Veterans Align to Continue Growth and Success at Life Insurance Direct Marketing Association
ATLANTA, April 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LIDMA -- the premier non-profit organization dedicated specifically to supporting businesses and professionals active in direct sales of life insurance products to consumers, today announced that Shervin Eftekhari, president of Zander Insurance Group, has been elected President of The Life Insurance Direct Marketing Association (LIDMA). The organization also announced that industry veterans W. Thomas Grant, II, Eric Lester and Denis Clifford have joined the LIDMA Board of Directors.
Eftekhari succeeds Byron Udell, president of AccuQuote, who served as LIDMA's president since 2015. Udell remains with the organization as immediate past president.
"I couldn't be more excited about this organization and the future of life insurance distribution," said Eftekhari. "I hope my passion for the life insurance industry and the direct response approach will help our organization to foster innovation, attract capital to the sector, and provide vital life insurance protection to more families. Sadly, over 30 percent of the adult population has no life insurance and many more are underinsured. LIDMA members, through direct response and partnering, are positioned well to educate those families and affordable ways to get the needed protection in place."
LIDMA is the only association dedicated to supporting direct marketers, insurance companies, financial institutions, technology providers and exam companies active in the direct sale of life insurance products to consumers. LIDMA membership includes many of the industry's leading producers, carriers, business partners, exam companies and direct marketers.
Eftekhari joined Zander Insurance as president in 2013. Prior to joining Zander Insurance, Eftekhari was a co-founder and Board Member of LIDMA. Eftekhari, an internet pioneer, also co-founded ReliaQuote.com in 1999, which was later named a "Top 100 financial website" by Money Magazine. Eftekhari holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Boston College, Cum Laude and currently also serves on the Board of Life Happens (formerly The Life Foundation) and is a member of Nashville Entrepreneur Organization.
Addition of New Board Members
LIDMA also announced the addition of three new board members:
W. Thomas Grant, II, currently serves as president of SelectQuote and is a member of the company`s Board of Directors. Mr. Grant also currently serves on the Board of Directors of Commerce Bancshares, Inc., a bank holding company for Commerce Bank. Mr. Grant has experience managing both private and publicly traded companies. Mr. Grant served as the Chief Executive Officer of LabOne, Inc. from 1995 through the sale of the company to Quest Diagnostics in 2005. Mr. Grant received a Bachelor's degree in History from the University of Kansas and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Finance, University of Pennsylvania.
Denis Clifford is the Senior Vice President & Chief Distribution Officer at Savings Bank Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts, with responsibility for the company's Independent Distribution channel which operates in both traditional brokerage and alternative distribution markets. Clifford currently resides in Andover, MA and is a member of industry trade associations NAILBA and NAIFA.
Eric Lester currently serves as Vice President, Administrative Services at Legal & General America, Inc., which is the holding company for Banner Life Insurance Company. Lester holds an Engineering Degree from Roger Williams University.
About LIDMA
LIDMA is the primary association dedicated to supporting businesses and professionals active in direct sales of life insurance products to consumers – the fastest growing sales segment in the life insurance industry. The not-for-profit organization is committed to helping members boost their revenues and reduce costs. For more information, visit www.lidma.org.
SOURCE Life Insurance Direct Marketing Association
Share this article