Principal, Business Development

TEAM OVERVIEW 

Global Atlantic is a Top 3 preneed life insurance provider, distributing primarily through approximately 2,400 funeral homes, third-party organizations, and national accounts across the U.S. The Preneed Business Development & Strategic Accounts team is responsible for growing profitable production through our largest and most strategically important distribution partners — including national firms, third-party marketing organizations, and select independent accounts — while continuing to prospect and onboard new relationships in line with the division's growth plan. 

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Principal, Business Development is a senior individual-contributor role responsible for driving profitable growth across an assigned book of strategic preneed distribution partners and for opening new national and multi-location accounts. Reporting to preneed sales leadership, the Principal owns the end-to-end account strategy — from prospecting and pitching, through contracting and onboarding, to ongoing production management, joint business planning, and executive relationship stewardship. The role partners closely with Regional Sales team, marketing, product, operations, legal, and compliance to translate distributor needs into commercial outcomes and to ensure Global Atlantic remains the carrier of choice in the preneed market. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Own an assigned portfolio of strategic accounts (national firms, third-party organizations, and select independent partners); develop and execute account-level business plans that meet or exceed annual preneed sales, retention, and profitability targets. 
• Prospect, qualify, and close new strategic account relationships, leading contracting, onboarding, and go-live in coordination with sales leadership, legal, compliance, and operations. 
• Serve as the senior day-to-day relationship owner for principals, corporate leaders, and top-producing agents at assigned firms; conduct regular business reviews, joint planning sessions, and on-site visits. 
• Partner with the Regional Sales, Account Management and Strategic Accounts team to translate pipeline activity into closed production, ensuring accounts receive best-in-class sales support and product positioning. 
• Represent the voice of the distributor internally — surfacing product, illustration, technology, and service enhancements to product, marketing, and operations, and shaping the roadmap for strategic accounts. 
• Lead executive-level presentations, RFP responses, and industry-conference engagement (e.g., ICCFA, NFDA, state association meetings) to build Global Atlantic's brand and pipeline in the preneed community. 
• Maintain rigorous CRM discipline in Salesforce — logging activity, forecasting production, and providing accurate weekly and monthly pipeline reporting to preneed leadership. 
• Coach and informally mentor Senior Analysts, Sales Consultants, and other members of the strategic accounts tea