Veteran Industry Executive to Lead IRI's Member Recruitment and Engagement Efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) today announced that Barbara Hume has joined the association's staff as its new Vice President of Membership. Hume brings to IRI more than 30 years of industry experience in retirement services and annuity sales and marketing. Most recently, she was the Chief Marketing Officer for Annuity/Retirement and Distribution Marketing at Sun Life Financial.

"Barbara's knowledge of our members will be a great asset to IRI as we work to serve all our constituency's needs and advance IRI's mission," said IRI President and CEO Cathy Weatherford. "Her understanding of the insured retirement industry will be invaluable as IRI expands its efforts to promote the insured retirement value proposition through strategic member engagement and advisor outreach."

Before Hume joined Sun Life, she was the Chief Marketing Officer for Data Life, a software solutions provider for the insurance industry. During her career Hume also has served as the Divisional Vice President, Investment and Income Division at MetLife; Vice President, Annuities and Retirement Services at Prudential Investments; and Vice President, Variable Product Management at Connecticut Mutual Financial Services.

While working for IRI member companies, Hume served on several IRI committees, including the Membership, Marketing, and Joint Leadership Committees as well as the Editorial Board for the IRI newsletter.

Hume earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Maine and is a graduate of the Executive Development Program at the Wharton School of Business.

About the Insured Retirement Institute: The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) is a not-for-profit organization that for twenty years has been a mainstay of service, commitment and collaboration within the insured retirement industry.  Today, IRI is considered to be the authoritative source of all things pertaining to annuities, insured retirement strategies and retirement planning. IRI proudly leads a national consumer education coalition of nearly twenty organizations and is the only association that represents the entire supply chain of insured retirement strategies: our members are the major insurers, asset managers, broker dealers and more than 150,000 financial professionals. IRI exists to vigorously promote consumer confidence in the value and viability of insured retirement strategies, bringing together the interests of the industry, financial advisors and consumers under one umbrella. IRI's mission is to: encourage industry adherence to highest ethical principles; promote better understanding of the insured retirement value proposition; develop and promote best practice standards to improve value delivery; and to advocate before public policy makers on critical issues affecting insured retirement strategies and the consumers that rely on their guarantees. Visit www.IRIonline.org today to experience the vast resources of the Insured Retirement Institute for yourself.  

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