Michael Fanning
Former Head of MassMutual U.S.
Career Highlights
Helped MetLife restructure and IPO
At MassMutual, grew the number of financial advisors 3x
Led the acquisition of MetLife’s Premier client Group accelerating MassMutual into a leading life insurance provider in the US
Led the acquisition of Great American Life(rebranded as MassMutual Ascend) making MassMutual a top 3 seller of annuities in the US
Oversaw the turnaround and eventual sale of MassMutual’s retirement business (401k record keeper sold to Empower for $3.65 b in 2020).
oversaw the construction of MassMutual’s new headquarters in Boston’s seaport district.Not
FAILURESNot scaling MassMutual’s wealth business post GFC and Covid 19.
Could have done a better job of developing next level of leaders in the life insurance industry
Not the best work life balance
Current FocusWorking with MassChallenge as a board member and mentor to the management team and companies
Board member of Advisor 360, a wealth management SaaS platform with >$150 million in ARR
Spending time with my granddaughter and planning for 2 more on the way.
Hobbies
My children and grandchildren, Golf, Hiking, Fishing, Non fiction, History, Reading
Talk to me about
Leading large teams
working with large corporate clients, what works and what doesn’t
How to manage boards
I want to talk to you about
How to test, learn and iterate fast in a regulated business
Balancing profit vs growth
Creating a compelling pitch
