John Carter, the president and COO of Nationwide Financial, praised Eric Henderson’s leadership abilities on Tuesday. Henderson, the head of Nationwide’s annuity business, will be leaving the firm at the end of the year after a long career spanning nearly four decades. The company announced that it will be conducting a search, both internally and externally, to find his replacement.
Henderson has been leading Nationwide’s annuity team since 2007 and became the president of Nationwide Annuity in 2019. Under his leadership, the annuity business has seen three consecutive record sales years, making it Nationwide’s most profitable business line despite challenges in the market and interest-rate environments. He was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s individual annuity segment, including product innovation, sales, and distribution.
Nationwide’s annuity business experienced significant growth during Henderson’s tenure, generating $150 billion in sales between 2007 and 2023. His talent for recruiting and developing high-performing leadership teams was commended by Carter as positioning the annuity business for continued success in the future. In addition to his role at Nationwide, Henderson serves as a board member on the Insured Retirement Institute and the LIMRA Annuity Executive Advisory Board.
Henderson started his journey at Nationwide as an actuarial assistant in 1985 and held various roles of increasing responsibility before taking over as head of its annuity team in 2007. He will continue to lead the annuity team until his retirement and assist in a smooth transition for his successor. His departure marks
