GTL's Management Team
We at Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company are proud of the leadership and direction we receive from our top-notch management team:
Richard S. Holson, Jr. - CEO, Chairman of the Board
Richard S. Holson, III - President
Joe DeMonte - Senior Vice President, Administration
B. Montgomery Edson - Senior Vice President, Marketing
Arthur Fess - Senior Vice President, Finance
Robert Baluk - General Counsel
Jeff Burman - Vice President, Government Relations
Reed Gass - Vice President, Credit Insurance
Michael Haas - Vice President, Direct Marketing
Allan Heindl - Vice President, Product Approval & Compliance
Dick Jamieson - Vice President, Information Services
Mary Roberts - Vice President, Claims
Barb Taube - Controller
Dean Zivkovic - Vice President, New Business
Marianne Eterno - Assistant Vice President, Government Affairs
Thomas V. Purtell - Assistant Vice President, Policy & Commission Accounting
Tom Kobylewski - Vice President, Special Risk Marketing
Richard S. Holson, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board
In 1946, Richard Holson, Jr. joined GTL, a company which was founded by his father, as an underwriter. Turning to sales, he became an agent and general agent for the company in Illinois and Missouri where GTL was licensed to conduct business. He left the company in 1949 and returned in 1956 as the Agency Director. He became President in 1967, and was later named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1981. A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Holson served on the Board of several banks and other insurance companies, as well as various industry associations.
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Richard S. Holson, III
President
The third Holson to hold an office at Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company, Richard S. Holson, III has been President of GTL since 1992. Rick joined GTL in 1976 and worked his way up to Vice President of Agency before being named President. With a BA from Vanderbilt University, and a MBA from the University of Chicago, Rick also participates in industry associations such as LOMA, and serves as the Director of the Illinois Life Insurance Council and Director of the Indiana Life and Health Guarantee Association.
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Joe DeMonte
Senior Vice President, Administration
Joe DeMonte has been a part of GTL since 1986. As Senior Vice President of Administration, Joe oversees the progress of the New Business/Underwriting, Customer Service, Policyowner Service, Claim, Information Services, Mail Center, and File departments, and acts as the Chief Privacy/Security Officer for GTL. He also serves as a member of the ACLI Privacy Committee and as the Corresponding officer for LOMA, HIAA, and ACLI, is currently a member of the LOMA Research Council, and holds a BS in Psychology (Honors Program) from Loyola University.
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Bennett Montgomery Edson, CLU, FLMI
Senior Vice President, Marketing
Monty Edson joined GTL in 1985. As Senior Vice President of Marketing, he works with GTL's line of business managers to develop profitable markets and serve existing customers and distributors. He participates in numerous industry associations, including American Council of Life Insurers, National Association of Life Companies, Inter-Company Marketing Group, National Association of Professional Enrollment Specialists, and Health Insurance Association of America. With a BA from Middlebury College and an MBA from Harvard University, Monty shares his experience with students as a Board member and Adjunct Professor at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
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Arthur G. Fess
Senior Vice President, Finance
Art Fess joined GTL in 1970 as an accountant and was later promoted to Controller. In 1986, he was named Treasurer, and in 1995 was made Senior Vice President of Finance. A member of the Life Management Insurance Accounting & Systems Association, Art holds a BA in Accounting from Bethany College in Kansas, and a MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He and his wife, Linda are the parents of three children.
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Robert Baluk
General Counsel
As General Counsel, Rob Baluk has been responsible for all Legal requirements, issues and obligations concerning GTL and its subsidiaries since he began in 1997. A Graduate of The John Marshall Law School, Rob has over 16 years of insurance legal and regulatory experience.
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Jeffrey L. Burman
Vice President of Government Relations
Jeff Burman serves as Vice President of Government Relations, responsible for advocating Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company's position within the legislative and regulatory process, at both the state and federal levels. With almost 25 years of insurance industry experience, Jeff has participated in various industry associations, including serving as past president and current board member of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance, and on the policy coordinating committee of the Health Insurance Association of America. He holds a MBA from Loyola University, with a concentration in marketing.
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Reed Gass
Vice President, Credit Insurance
Reed joined GTL in 2005 with over 25 years experience in the Credit Insurance industry. He is the Line of Business Manager for Credit Insurance products sold through banks, automobile dealers, credit unions, finance companies, and also assists these clients with the establishment and management of Producer Owned Reinsurance Companies. Reed received a bachelor's degree in Economics from California University of Pennsylvania, and a master's in Business Management from Robert Morris University (PA). He has served on various committees with the Consumer Credit Insurance Association (CCIA).
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Mike Haas
Vice President, Direct Marketing
Mike Haas has been with GTL since 1986. He oversees the Direct Marketing line of business and utilizes direct mail, television advertisement, telemarketing and the internet to market products such as senior and Juvenile life insurance. He holds a BBA in finance and economics, and an MBA in marketing and management from Loyola University of Chicago. He is also an active member on the Direct Marketing Association, Chicago Association of Direct Marketing and serves as an operating committee member for the Direct Marketing Financial Services Council.
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Allan J. Heindl, FLMI, HIA, AIRC
Vice President, Product Approval & Compliance
Allan Heindl assumed the position of Vice President of Product Approval and Compliance in 1999, bringing nearly 20 years of Compliance experience to GTL. Responsible for the timely preparation and filing of all products with the states for approval, he and his staff are further challenged to maintain all company products, procedures and practices in compliance with state mandates. Allan also participates in the Life and Health Compliance Association, and the ACLI committee on Securities Regulation.
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Dick Jamieson
Vice President, Information Services
Dick Jamieson joined GTL in 1992. As Vice President of Information Services, he is responsible for developing and managing GTL's IT architecture and internal service operations; integrating emerging technologies with current systems in support of the company's business objectives; and coordinating all related elements such as system hardware/software, operations, programming, and quality assurance in the implementation of projects and delivery of services.
In addition to being a member of the LOMA Western/Central Systems Development Committee
Dick is also active in natural areas restoration through the Cook County Forest Preserve Volunteer Stewardship Network.
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Mary Roberts
Vice President of Claim and Customer Service
Mary Roberts has been with GTL since 1993. Through the hard work of two exceptional Department Managers - Susan Edwards and Tina Tobias, Mary oversees the Policyowner Service, Customer Service, Claim and File Departments.
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Barbara Taube, CPA.
Controller
Barb Taube is responsible for financial accounting and reporting, budgeting, forecasting, income taxes, premium and other taxes, payroll, commission and policy accounting, premium collection, and serves on the board of directors for GTL's subsidiaries. She joined GTL in October, 1993. A graduate of the University of Illinois with a BS in Accountancy with Honors, Barb is a member of the Illinois CPA Society and AICPA Society. In her spare time, she volunteers on the Board of Directors for Family Rescue Inc.
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Dean Zivkovic
Vice-President, New Business & Underwriting
Dean Zivkovic began working at GTL 1981 as an underwriter. Now a Vice President, he is responsible for overseeing the processing of the new business life and health applications. Dean is a member of various underwriting organizations and is a Fellow, Life Management Institute; Fellow, Academy of Life Underwriting; and a Charter Life Underwriter. He is also the past president of the Chicago Home Office Life & Health Underwriting Association. Born in Flensburg, Germany, Dean holds a bachelor's degree from University of Illinois at Chicago and a MBA in Marketing from DePaul University, and has worked in the life and health underwriting field for over 25 years.
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Marianne Eterno
Assistant Vice President, Government Affairs
Marianne Eterno came to GTL in 1995 as a compliance and government relations consultant. She formally joined the company in 1997, and as Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs, she is responsible for representing GTL in both the state and federal arenas. Marianne has spent more than 15 years in the insurance industry and is very active in the various industry associations to which GTL belongs. She serves on numerous committees at the Health Insurance Association of America, the American Council of Life Insurers, the Life Insurance Council, and the National Alliance of Life Companies. She also chairs the State Affairs and Information Services committees for the Council for Affordable Health Insurance, serves as Private Sector Chair of the Pharmaceutical Issues subcommittee at the American Legislative Exchange Council, is a member of the Executive Committee and PAC Board for the Florida Insurance Council, and serves as President of the Florida Insurance Forum, an organization she helped found.
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Thomas V. Purtell, FLMI
Assistant Vice President, Policy & Commission Accounting
Tom Purtell joined GTL in 1986 as a staff accountant. In his current position, he oversees the Policy and Commission Accounting departments. He graduated with an MBA from Western Illinois University. Tom and his wife, Marian are the parents of three children.
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Tom Kobylewski
Vice President, Special Risk Marketing
Tom Kobylewski joined GTL in 1995 and in July, 2004, was promoted to Vice President of the Special Risk Marketing Division. He has 35 years of experience in the insurance industry. Tom is a graduate of the University of Illinois and holds a degree in data processing as well as a degree in business administration.
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