Lincoln Financial's New Consumer Insights Group Focuses Heavily on Analytics

The group, which will be headed by Emily Pachuta within the company's Insurance Solutions/Retirement Solutions division, continues a trend among insurers toward more data-driven marketing efforts.

Radnor, Pa.-based life insurer Lincoln Financial is the latest carrier to make a commitment to technology-enabled customer experience with the launch of the Consumer Insights Group within its Insurance Solutions/Retirement Solutions (IS/RS) division.

Emily Pachuta, who has been with Lincoln since 2007, has been named head of the group. She oversees six employees dedicated to capturing quantitative and qualitative information about consumers that can better inform product design and distribution decisions. Pachuta reports to Kristen Phillips, who rejoined Lincoln last May as SVP and Head of Strategy and Marketing for the IS/RS division. Lincoln also added a digital strategy and user experience VP, Anand Rao, last year.

"Lincoln Financial recognizes the need and value of expanding our definition of the consumer to be more multi-dimensional - to include our end consumer," Phillips says in a statement. "Clearly understanding the behaviors and decisions of consumers will be valuable to our advisors and partners, as well as driving product positioning and innovation, which will help ensure Lincoln's solutions meet the emerging needs of current and future consumers."

"Industry studies and reports typically focus on why consumers don't adopt solutions," Pachuta adds in the release. "Lincoln takes a different approach, focusing on why people do adopt solutions. Basically, 90% of decision-making is irrational and subconscious, so a deeper understanding of decision-making drivers will help us, as well as financial advisors, better understand the actions that will improve one's financial life."

Joining Pachuta is Daniel Gangemi, who will be a director focusing on the retirement plan services business within the newly formed group. He previously held positions at Prudential Investments, OppenheimerFunds, and AllianceBernstein.

Nathan Golia is senior editor of Insurance & Technology. He joined the publication in 2010 as associate editor and covers all aspects of the nexus between insurance and information technology, including mobility, distribution, core systems, customer interaction, and risk ... View Full Bio