Des Moines, Io., USA - January 19, 2015, Des Moines, Io., USA - Fidelity & Guaranty Life (FGL), an insurance holding company, announced that Lee Launer, the CEO and a member of its board of directors, has elected to retire effective as of April 30, 2015.
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Mr. Launer has served as a director of FGL since 2011 and previously served as Chairman of the board of directors from 2011 to June 27, 2013.
Mr. Launer initially joined the predecessor company, Old Mutual US Life, as the CEO-Designate in August 2010 leading up to the FGLH Acquisition by HGI.
Following the FGLH Acquisition, Mr. Launer assumed the role as our Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Launer is an accomplished insurance executive having several leadership positions through a 28-year career with one of the world’s major insurance companies, MetLife.
From 2007 to 2010, he was a private consultant in the life insurance industry and served as the Chief Investment Officer of two Bermuda-based start-up reinsurer companies, Bridge Point Insurance Ltd. and Lennox Reinsurance Ltd.
He was president of Institutional Business from 2005 to 2007 and the Chief Investment Officer at MetLife from 2003 to 2005.
From 2000 to 2001, Mr. Launer held the Treasurer post at MetLife. In addition to his tenure at MetLife, he previously served as Chairman of the Board for Reinsurance Group of America and was also an active board member at MetLife Bank.
Mr. Launer completed his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at University of Redlands before obtaining an M.B.A. at the University of Southern California.
The Company also announced that Christopher J. Littlefield, presently FGL's President, will assume the position of CEO upon Mr. Launer's retirement.
Mr. Littlefield has served as Aviva USA’s chief operating officer.
Mr. Littlefield joined AmerUs Group in January 2006 as executive vice president – general counsel and secretary.
He was promoted to Aviva USA chief operating officer in February 2008.
Prior to that, he was with The Dial Corporation in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he held a number of management positions since 1998, including senior vice president; general counsel and secretary.
He also served as senior vice president and general manager of one of The Dial Corporation’s major business divisions.
Before then, he was an attorney with Snell & Wilmer LLP, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Mr. Littlefield graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Arizona. ■