Company introduces new business vertical in Group Benefits focused on small and mid-sized employers

The Hartford announced new leadership appointments in sales and distribution across multiple lines of business in support of the company’s growth and innovation plans. Hayes Henderson has been promoted to head of sales and relationship management for Group Benefits, succeeding Lori High who is retiring after 10 years with the company. The Hartford has also named Karen Raftery head of a newly created business vertical in Group Benefits focused on small and mid-sized employers. In addition, Lynn Kennedy has been named head of sales and distribution for Small Commercial and Paul Hiscox has been named chief sales and underwriting officer for Personal Lines.

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The Hartford has named Hayes Henderson head of sales and relationship management for Group Benefits. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We continue to sharpen our focus on high growth market segments and adapt to meet the evolving needs of our employer customers and broker partners,” said Jonathan Bennett, head of Group Benefits at The Hartford. “Hayes is a proven and engaged leader with deep relationships and experience serving customers from small businesses to Fortune 10 companies. Karen’s strong distribution and strategy expertise makes her ideally suited to lead this work focused on the end-to-end customer experience for our small and mid-sized employer customers.”

Henderson will be responsible for developing strategies to enhance The Hartford’s market position and drive profitable growth for Group Benefits, reporting to Bennett. His appointment is effective July 1. Most recently he served as regional vice president in the east region for Group Benefits sales and has more than two decades of group sales experience, including 15 years at The Hartford.

Raftery will lead the new Group Benefits vertical focused on providing employers with 2-499 employees competitive employee benefit and leave management solutions, while driving growth. She will also report to Bennett. Her appointment is effective July 1. Raftery, who has 17 years of group sales experience at The Hartford, most recently served as regional vice president for the central region.

The Hartford’s Head of Small Commercial and Personal Lines Stephanie Bush said, “The Hartford is uniquely suited to serve the broad needs of small business owners, with long-standing, deep underwriting expertise and strong distribution relationships across our diverse, yet complementary business lines. Lynn’s extensive experience in finance, product, program strategy and distribution leadership make her well-positioned to lead our Small Commercial sales and distribution organization. In addition, in Personal Lines, Paul is an inspiring leader with vast knowledge of the 50-plus market, underwriting, and agency and direct sales, which will benefit us as we continue to innovate our auto and home business in a dynamic marketplace.”

Kennedy is taking on an expanded role, which consolidates all Small Commercial sales under one leader. She will be responsible for leading all Small Commercial distribution channels, which include agency, alternative and direct, as well as the field and sales performance teams. Kennedy will continue to report to Christopher Jones, chief operating officer for Small Commercial. Her appointment is effective June 1. Kennedy joined The Hartford in 2006 and was most recently head of alternative distribution for Small Commercial.

Hiscox is also taking on an expanded role leading all Personal Lines distribution channels, including direct, agency, partnerships and The Hartford’s write-your-own flood program. In addition, he continues to lead Personal Lines underwriting. He will continue to report to Melinda Thompson, chief operating officer for Personal Lines. His appointment is effective June 1. Hiscox joined The Hartford in 2001 and was most recently head of underwriting and direct sales for Personal Lines.

Bennett added, “I want to congratulate Lori High on her retirement. On behalf of The Hartford and our Group Benefits colleagues, we are grateful for her leadership over the years and her work in the community with organizations such as Move United.”

About The Hartford

The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at https://www.thehartford.com.

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. For additional details, please read The Hartford’s legal notice.

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Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

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