Valmark Financial Group Appoints Ken Ehinger As Vice President, Strategic Initiatives

AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Valmark Financial Group today announced the appointment of Kenneth (Ken) R. Ehinger, a 40-year industry veteran with a history of demonstrated success in the broker-dealer, insurance, and investment advisory businesses, as the company's Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. Ken will report to Larry J. Rybka, Chief Executive Officer of Valmark Financial Group.

Ken is the Founder and President of KRE Strategies, LLC, an independent business and Registered Investment Advisor which serves as a coach and consultant for financial services firms, investment advisors, insurance and investment industry associations and educational institutions. Previously, Ken was the President of M Holdings Securities, Inc., the broker-dealer of M Financial Group. He has also held several other leadership roles at National Life Group, Equity Services, Inc., Sentinel Management Companies, American Guaranty & Trust, and Lincoln Financial Advisors, an affiliate of Lincoln National Corporation. In addition, Ken holds a Fellow Life Management Institute (FLMI) designation and is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).  

"I've known Valmark for many years as an innovative and high-quality financial services enterprise built on integrity, not to mention a formidable competitor," said Ehinger. "I'm so honored to join this talented team of professionals and my friend, Larry J. Rybka, and extend my support to Valmark Member Firms and their clients."

Ken's breadth of knowledge and experience will help Valmark strengthen its current and future partnerships with Member Firms, carriers, custodians and other vendors in several ways. Primarily, Ken will collaborate with Valmark Member Firms focused on providing company-owned life insurance to help modernize their business model and offering; expand Valmark's partnerships with national CPA firms by working in tandem with Valmark's newly formed company, Long Road Risk Management Services, LLC; and focus on building out a comprehensive succession planning strategy for Valmark Member Firms. 

"We are very excited to have Ken join our team," said Larry J. Rybka. "He brings a wealth of relevant experience to Valmark having worked with some of the most successful independent life insurance specialty practices in the country. Notably, he really understands the needs of entrepreneurial, independent financial services firms, the life insurance companies who offer products to this market, and the complex regulatory issues involved in bringing this distribution model to the 21^st century."  

Larry and Ken worked alongside each other as part of the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting's (AALU) reform committee where they lobbied Congress and the SEC to moderate the impact of the SEC's best-interest standard on financial advisors and their clients.   

"Ken is someone who really understands how those wishing to thrive in the life insurance space need to evolve to capture today's opportunities," said Rybka. "Most importantly, he is person of integrity who displays characteristics that are perfectly aligned with our five core values."  

About Valmark Financial Group, LLC
Valmark Financial Group is a parent company comprised of several subsidiaries, including: Executive Insurance Agency, Inc., a national insurance agency; Valmark Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer and member of both FINRA and SIPC; Valmark Advisers, Inc., a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission registered investment adviser; and the Valmark Policy Management Company, LLC, which provides ongoing policy management and monitoring services for life insurance policyholders. With a proud history of working only with independently-owned financial services firms committed to high ethical standards in over 30 states throughout the United States, Valmark offers a wide range of insurance and investment solutions for high net-worth clients. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio with operations in St. Paul, Minnesota, Valmark, through its affiliated entities, has helped its Member Firms place over $60 billion of life insurance death benefits and manage insurance policies with a cumulative cash value of over $8 billion dollars. Valmark's affiliated RIA, Valmark Advisers, has over $6 billion in assets under management, including approximately $3 billion in variable sub-account assets within its TOPS® funds.

To learn more about Valmark Financial Group, visit www.valmarkfg.com. 

Contact: Jamie Summerville –
VP, Communications
Valmark Financial Group
130 Springside Drive
Akron, OH 44333
P: 330.576.1234 x3609
E: [email protected]
www.valmarkfg.com

SOURCE Valmark Financial Group

Related Links

http://www.valmarkfg.com