Security Benefit, headquartered in Topeka, Kan., has appointed Jacquline “Jackie” Morales to the position of senior vice president, chief operating officer, reporting to incoming CEO Doug Wolff, the company said.

In her new role, Morales will lead the operations/technology segment of Security Benefit’s manufacturing group, overseeing business operations and helping to execute the company’s growth strategy.

“Jacquline is a results-oriented executive with substantial experience building and leading complex, established organizations, as well as startups,” Wolff said in a news release.

An industry veteran with more than three decades of experience, Morales has held key leadership roles and helped chart growth strategies, most recently at an Insurance technology startup in New York City, where she served as chief insurance officer.

Morales received a bachelor’s degree in humanities and a MBA degree in finance from Southern Methodist University. She is a licensed insurance agent; has served on numerous committees for industry trade groups, and is often cited by the media as an expert in life insurance and annuities, the news release said.

“[Security Benefit's] long-standing history and expertise ... has made it the partner of choice for advisors and carriers alike,” Morales said in a prepared statement. “It is a great cultural fit for me, and I am thrilled to join the team. I look forward to working with Doug and senior management to maintain Security Benefit’s market-leading position, while attracting new customers and pursuing new markets for expansion.”

In an email, Morales discussed potential industry areas of growth she will leverage in scaling her new employer’s business.

“Within the broader retirement plan area, we still see many small employers that do not offer retirement plans to their employees for any number of reason, and this often results in workers being unable to save effectively for retirement,” she said. “They may think offering a retirement plan is too difficult, costly, or requires too much support on their part. Given the variety of products available, this is simply not the reality any longer.”

Morales said that Security Benefit offers a full suite of retirement products for employers of all sizes, that fit the needs of all their workers.

“Not only are these plans easy to implement and support, but they also give small employers the ability to offer valuable tools that help prepare their employees for a more secure retirement,” she said in the email.

Financial Advisor asked Morales what retirement products and solutions would most benefit employees who decide to retire later in life, rather than the tradition retirement age of 65.

“It really depends on the specifics of their situation,” she said. “In some cases, even in retirement, it is not a bad idea to leave money in their former employer’s plan. Many plans benefit from institutional pricing and very low-cost fund options. It is also important to consider their risk profile as they get older. Annuities, for example, can help provide a return on investment with little or no potential for loss.”

Asked if there was a particular retirement product that was a hard sell, Morales said that retirement and financial products are generally not easy for most people to understand, particularly those with many options available within the products themselves.

“Planning for retirement is not something people do every day, so they want to make sure their choices are sound and make sense for them,” she said in the email. “For this reason, many people find that working with a financial advisor is helpful.”

Morales said that in her new role, she will focus on digital, data, security, and service.

“The currency of the future lies in all these areas,” she said. “People live on their phones and want to be able to acquire products digitally, when they want them, but still be able to speak to a friendly, knowledgeable person when needed, and feel confident they are protected throughout that experience. My teams will focus on making sure all this and more takes place as we scale our business for the future. No one has a better job than me!”

Founded in 1892, Security Benefit Corporation, an Eldridge business, together with its affiliates, reported holding $46.9 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2021.