Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders Jay Jackson, Chairman & CEO, Abacus Life – Life by the Numbers: Turning life insurance policies into powerful financial tools
Summary:
Innovation often starts with asking tough questions, like: What if the systems we’ve always relied on aren’t equipped to handle today's complexities? By leveraging data and challenging outdated assumptions, new possibilities are arising in unexpected industries.
Today, we're sitting down with Jay Jackson, Chairman and CEO of Abacus Life, which trades under the symbol ABL. Jay joined Abacus Settlements in 2016 as President and Chief Executive Officer and has also served as CEO of Longevity Market Assets since June 2019.
He serves as a current member of the Orlando Mayor's Committee on Livability and as an Executive Board Member for the Senior Resource Alliance, an agency of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. Jay began his career at Franklin Templeton Investments, and prior to joining Abacus, he co-founded and managed the Fayerweather Street Life Fund, as well as the Cambridge Life Management origination platform for FDO Partners, a three billion quantitative investment firm founded by Harvard Business School professor Ken Froot.
With over 20 years of experience in the financial services and life settlement industry, Jay is not only a pioneer in the life settlement and longevity industry but has also formed multiple verticals within that umbrella.
In this episode, we explore how Jay Jackson and Abacus Life are transforming life insurance into a powerful financial empowerment tool, offering policyholders and their loved ones newfound flexibility. He'll also tell us how Abacus is leveraging data to unlock hidden value and drive innovation across the longevity market.
Highlights:
- Abacus' background and mission (3:05)
- The total addressable market for Abacus in life insurance (4:14)
- Market competition and key business differentiators (6:10)
- Abacus' target audience and customer profiles (8:12)
- Abacus Life's business model and how it has evolved (9:49)
- Jay describes Abacus' technology platform and the value of data collection (12:11)
- How data insights will unlock opportunities for innovation and efficiency in the field (16:03)
- How life insurance policies will change if human lifespans increase (17:50)
- Jay describes the benefits of taking Abacus public (21:19)
- The senior team at Abacus Life (23:24)
- Future goals at Abacus and balancing growth with M&A (25:44)
Links:
Jay Jackson LinkedIn
Book: Pursuing Wealthspan: How Science is Revolutionizing Wealth Management
Feedback:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.