Prudential’s Marketing Leader Aims To Make Life Insurance More Relevant In Today’s Market

Get To Know: Prudential Executive VP of Product and Marketing Mark Hug

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Prudential corporate HQ
Mark Hug serves as the executive vice president of product and marketing for Prudential’s Individual Life Insurance business, focusing on product solutions, broad marketing research analytics, creative marketing programs and materials, and client management.

Joining the company in 2004, Hug previously served as Prudential’s executive vice president of marketing and distribution for Individual Life Insurance, leading all sales and marketing responsibilities for domestic individual life insurance sales.

A graduate of Notre Dame University, Hug’s prior executive marketing and sales experience includes positions with Allmerica Financial Services, The Equitable Life Assurance Society and Aetna, as well as chief marketing officer for Connecticut Mutual’s Corporate Owned Life Insurance.

He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, member of the American Academy Actuaries, and a registered principal of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Get To Know:

Mark Hug

VP of Product & Marketing @ Prudential Life Insurance

  • Age: 57
  • HQ: Newark, New Jersey
  • First Job: Carpet Installer at 14-years old
  • Apple or Android? Apple
  • First Car: 1969 Buick Skylark
  • Hobby: Horses, Gardening & Scrabble

What mobile device can you not live without?

I use my iPhone everyday, I can live without them all.

Which apps do you use most often for work?

Traveler – its my connection to all things Prudential.

What social media network or website do you frequent most when you’re not working?

Facebook – it has all my family and hometown friends.

What’s the first thing you check on your phone in the morning?

Personal email.

Take me through your typical workday.

Into work by 6:30 a.m. giving me time to think, plan, and organize prior to a barrage of meetings which usually start by 8:30 a.m.

My meetings consist of approvals and strategizing with a mixture of informative presentations.

Collaboration meetings with other U.S. businesses are on the rise. I generally find time to plan the strategic direction of my area and get involved with the business strategy decisions.

What has been the most exciting work development during the past year?

A clear cut strategy to begin to move the life industry in a transformative direction.

What does your desk look like?

My office is a mess. I try to keep it looking good but I never quite get there. The best items in my office are the pictures of my family and friends.

Mark Hug desk

How many miles have you traveled in the last 12 months?

I’ve traveled over 50,000 miles over that last 12 months.

The most interesting place was Maui. I actually traveled there twice in the last year, both for sales conventions (the first was our wholesaler convention and the second was an agent convention). I enjoyed the laid back culture which allowed me to rejuvenate while I was there.

What work challenge keeps you up at night?

I’ve never had a work challenge that kept me up at night. I do have work challenges, the greatest of which is figuring out how to make life insurance more relevant in today’s market.

Can you tell us about a campaign or work project you’d like to do over?

We developed a life insurance product for younger people. This product has all the tools that consumers want, but we learned we did not have the right distribution approach in place.

Lessons learned from experiences like this are helpful as we look to customize and refine our products to better meet distribution partner and consumer demands.

Tell me about the people who have been most influential in your career.

The most influential has been my wife, Kate. She gives me the energy and confidence to accomplish all that I have accomplished.

What traits does a person need to succeed in your position?

I think there are many but the most important are: 1.) Integrity, 2.) Confidence in your beliefs, 3.) Serving the people that you lead, and 4.) Be willing to listen to others and change your mind.

Can you tell us something about yourself that your team would be surprised to know?

Probably not; they know all of my secrets. Many still find it hard to believe that I’m an introvert.

Why did you go into marketing?

I was an actuary, and I had the opportunity to spend some time with sales folks and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I soon became a student of marketing and sales and I haven’t stopped.

What other career would you like to try and why?

I’d like to be a professor when I retire. I am invited to speak to college kids from time to time and really have a passion for it.

I would like to teach marketing, career development, or the business aspects of actuarial science.

What’s the last business book you read & what did you think of it?

I really don’t read business books. I find that most are not usable in day-to-day business.

The last one I read that did have an impact is by Terri Sjodin called Small Message, Big Impact. I actually use this in my day-to-day work.

Outside of your company’s efforts, what ad campaign or video caught your eye recently?

I like Android’s recent campaign. It really doesn’t say a word, but the music and graphics and constantly changing and almost absurd flow caught my attention.

I said to myself, “Now the Gen Y’s will love this. This reflects exactly what is going on in their heads.”

https://youtu.be/RHAoA4winAg?list=PLOcMSsuppV4pWBxVVJGE9dOeHUtOxHJDd


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Amy Gesenhues
Contributor
Amy Gesenhues was a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Marketing Land, Search Engine Land and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.

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