Symetra Promotes Three Leaders to Executive Vice President
Wes Severin to lead Retirement Division; Harry Monti to lead Benefits Division;
Chantel Balkovetz to lead Service and Operations
BELLEVUE, Wash. — (May 6, 2020) — Symetra Life Insurance Company today announced the promotions of three senior executives to executive vice president: Wes Severin, who will lead the Retirement Division; Harry Monti, who will lead the Benefits Division; and Chantel Balkovetz, who will lead Service and Operations enterprise-wide. The three EVPs also join the Symetra Leadership Team, reporting to Margaret Meister, president and chief executive officer, Symetra Financial Corporation.
“One of Symetra’s longtime strengths is the breadth of talented leaders on our team. Today, I am pleased to recognize the significant contributions of Wes, Harry and Chantel to our Retirement and Benefits business lines, and to our Service and Operations. Their drive, leadership and strategic approach make them ideal for their new roles, as does their collective commitment to serving our customers, which has been especially impressive these last challenging months,” said CEO Margaret Meister. “Our Symetra Empowers strategic vision remains focused on helping our customers, partners, employees and communities thrive in the changing world we live in. Wes, Harry and Chantel will each play a key part in executing that long-term vision, prioritizing our initiatives and successfully navigating this unprecedented business environment.”
Wes Severin, EVP, Retirement Division
Most recently senior vice president, Retirement Product and Distribution, Mr. Severin has been involved in or led efforts to further grow Symetra’s bank partners, expand distribution to broker-dealers and independent marketing organizations, design and launch products, and build the division’s sales team. He joined Symetra in March 2011 as western divisional sales manager for retirement products and was promoted to vice president of national sales the following year. In that role he was instrumental in leading the relationship management and external sales teams through a high-growth period that established Symetra’s position in the fixed annuity and FIA markets. Prior to Symetra, Mr. Severin was national sales director of financial institution markets at Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company in Denver.
Harry Monti, EVP, Benefits Division
Harry Monti joined Symetra in June 2014 as vice president, Life and Disability (LAD), bringing 25 years of group benefits experience spanning financial, operations and strategy roles. Named senior vice president, Life and Disability (LAD) and Select Benefits, in April 2018, Mr. Monti played an integral role in the evolution of those business lines and in the development of Symetra’s new voluntary benefits practice. His operational leadership and strategic oversight has seen customer service evolve into a key differentiator for Symetra in the benefits marketplace. Prior to Symetra, Mr. Monti was director, Insurance Advisory Services with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Hartford, Connecticut. He had previously spent 13 years in senior level operational and claims roles at The Hartford.
Chantel Balkovetz, EVP, Chief of Service and Operations
In her newly expanded role, Chantel Balkovetz now leads customer and service operations for all three Symetra divisions—Retirement, Benefits and Individual Life—with responsibility for new business, customer service, billing and premium collection, contract administration, claims, agency services, business system solutions, quality assurance, training and operations risk management. Ms. Balkovetz joined Symetra in 2008 as director of Retirement Service and Operations. She subsequently moved into the Individual Life Division, and was named vice president in 2011. In 2012, she became vice president, Individual Life and Retirement Service and Operations, and was promoted to senior vice president in March 2017.
About Symetra
Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent agents and advisors. For more information, visit www.symetra.com.
