Midwood Financial Services

Alan H. Blank

President

In the years since 1972, Alan Blank's career in the financial services industry has included pioneering and developing the concept of investment product and service delivery through depository institutions in the United States. Mr. Blank develops new markets, implements innovative distribution systems geared to specific bank cultural and business orientations while maintaining best practices in levels of service and delivery of training systems for partner banks, which run the gamut from small community banks to large national financial institutions. Today Midwood enjoys business partnerships with over 300 banks.

Some years ago a Fortune article referred to him as "an industry leader to watch." Indeed, Mr. Blank is a well known financial services industry expert who is regularly called upon as a keynote speaker and panelist at industry conferences and seminars throughout the country. He has been featured and interviewed by industry journals such as Business Week, Money, Personal Investor, and American Banker and has appeared on Financial News Network's "Marketplace" and "Nation's Business Today."

Mr. Blank has written articles on bank channel alternative product distribution that have appeared in leading industry journals like American Banker, Banks in Insurance Report, the Financial Institutions Marketing Association (FIMA), The Bankers Magazine, and National Underwriter. He has also authored Investment Product Marketing: Retail Marketing Through Financial Institutions.

Prior to founding Midwood Financial Services, Inc., Mr. Blank was the key driver in developing American Skandia Life's variable annuity financial institutions distribution system. Over a two-year period, from a starting point of zero, American Skandia's financial institutions variable annuity business grew to over $400 million in annual volume.

One of the highlights of Mr. Blank's entrepreneurial career was the founding and rapid development of PAMCO Securities and Insurance Services, one of the first and most successful third party annuity marketing firms in the United States. PAMCO became best known for providing innovative investment product delivery systems for many of the country's leading financial institutions. PAMCO was a registered broker-dealer and licensed life and variable life and annuity agency, providing non-traditional investment products and services to bank customers.

Other notable career achievements include heading up A.H. Blank + Company, another successful entrepreneurial effort delivering nontraditional financial products and services through the bank channel on a national basis. Previous positions of note included stock brokerage experience with E.F. Hutton and a regional management position with Great Western Savings & Loan Insurance Agency.

Mr. Blank graduated from the University of Bridgeport with a B.S. Degree in Economics and Marketing and is a registered principal with FINRA. He joined Deloitte & Touche, Cigna Securities and other financial services firms to found the National Society of Compliance Professionals, a not-for-profit association focusing on regulatory issues to help serve the public with honesty and transparency in financial product and service delivery.

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James J. Eagan

Executive Vice President

James Eagan joined Midwood Financial Services, Inc. as a partner and Executive Vice President to Founder and President Alan Blank in the year 2000. Today Midwood is the largest privately held provider and distributor of financial products and services to over 400 banks, regional brokerage firms and independent broker dealers throughout the country. Mr. Eagan has contributed substantially to the company's growth owing, in part, to his reputation and his extensive contacts at the highest levels in the financial services industry.

Mr. Eagan's background in the industry is deep and diverse. In 1983 he accepted a position as Senior Vice President with Empire Agency, Inc., a fully owned subsidiary of Empire of America, a western New York based thrift, which expanded across 5 states before its assets were acquired by M&T and KeyCorp in 1989. He was instrumental in pioneering the sales culture within Empire's retail branch network that nurtured and developed the sales of insurance products by licensed representatives.

In 1988 Mr. Eagan was appointed to the position of Senior Vice President with Investor Life Services. At that time ILS was a fully owned distribution subsidiary of USF&G Insurance Corporation, which was subsequently reorganized as Old Mutual Financial Network. One of his major accomplishments at ILS was the launching and developing of the company's Financial Institution Division. As a result corporate earnings at ILS dramatically increased due to rapid sales volume growth within the new venture.

James Eagan joined BankMark in 1991, a leading financial institution third party marketing organization, as Executive Vice President of New Business Development. Mr. Eagan's tenure at BankMark resulted in growing the company from a limited regional focus, to a national footprint. BankMark was subsequently acquired by Conseco in 1997.

From 1997 until joining Midwood in the year 2000, Mr. Eagan was retained as a consultant to Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. His consulting services and suggestions were implemented by Liberty, which resulted in the substantial growth of the company's revenues through the expansion of product distribution in a national network of financial institutions.

The latest phase of his career began when he joined Midwood Financial Services, Inc. He has, together with Founder and President Alan Blank, developed Midwood into the largest privately held distributor of financial products and services via the bank and brokerage channels in the United States. He skillfully negotiates with leading insurers and other providers to offer the best and most consumer friendly financial products to Midwood's partners for retail distribution. In tandem with Mr. Blank, he is the co-architect of Midwood's philosophy of harmonizing with its business partners' goals, objectives, culture and ethics.

Mr. Eagan has been appointed by the Governor of New York to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority's Board of Commissioners to oversee the cost control initiatives of the region's transit system and the Greater Buffalo Niagara International Airport. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Erie County's SPCA.

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Edward A. Van Hoorebeke

Senior Vice President

National Sales Manager

Edward Van Hoorebeke accepted the position of National Sales Manager and Senior Vice President of Midwood Financial Services, Inc. during the fourth quarter of 2006. Mr. Van Hoorebeke brings to Midwood's senior management team over twenty years of experience in the financial services industry, principally in wholesaling and management of other wholesalers.

As National Sales Manager, Mr. Van Hoorebeke enthusiastically supports the sales and marketing efforts of Midwood's bank partners, which now number over 300. He coordinates and directs Midwood's seasoned external wholesalers, who work with their key contacts and regional managers, along with the dedicated, teller and platform representatives, to promulgate new sales concepts and inspire compliant goal achievements in their footprint territories.

Just prior to joining Midwood, Mr. Van Hoorebeke was National Sales Manager with Symetra Financial. In his twelve months there, he increased the existing wholesaling team from 6 to 12, while tripling sales volume from $20 million to $60 million per month. From 2002-2005, Mr. Van Hoorebeke was National Sales Manager with MetLife Investors, building the wholesaling team from 3 to 18 and dramatically increasing sales volume from $200 million to $2 billion annually. Mr. Van Hoorebeke and his Met Life wholesaling team distributed both fixed and variable annuities through the bank channel.

From 1993 to 2002, Mr. Van Hoorebeke gained valuable experience wholesaling a wide variety of financial products and services through American Skandia Life in the financial institutions channel. He was instrumental is distributing products such as variable annuities, multiple families of mutual funds, retirement vehicles such as 401(k) plans, and many life insurance based financial and estate planning solutions.

Mr. Van Hoorebeke's distinguished wholesaling career began at Planco Financial Services in 1988. As Regional Marketing Director in the state of Florida, he spent five years marketing and wholesaling annuities, mutual funds and various retirement products and services to wirehouses.

One of Mr. Van Hoorebeke's many strong points as a manager is his ability to communicate advanced and complex financial and economic concepts in a way that is easy even for the uninitiated to grasp quickly and thoroughly. His management style is strong, collegial and motivating.

Mr. Van Hoorebeke is accredited in sales and presentation training through various professional sales academies and holds and maintains several NASD licenses.

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John P. Pinson

Senior Vice President

National Accounts Manager

John Pinson joined Midwood Financial Services, Inc. in March of 2009 as a New Business Development Officer and Senior Key Accounts Manager. Mr. Pinson brings over 27 years of experience working in the financial services industry, the majority of which has been spent distributing investment products in a national footprint of financial institutions, independent broker dealers and wirehouses. In joining Midwood, he will contribute to its growth by continuing to serve his extensive network of relationships, delivering consumer-friendly financial products, strong service standards and credible advice.

Prior to joining Midwood, Mr. Pinson spent 12 years with Security Benefit in various new business development roles. From 2006 to 2009, he was a Strategic Business Development Officer, managing relationships with many of Security Benefit's key partners. From 2004 to 2007, he was responsible for the fixed annuity product line. During this time, he played a key role in revamping products, marketing materials and web content in order to improve product competitiveness and exposure to a national audience of financial advisors. His initial role was in the founding of the company's Financial Institution Division, which contributed greatly to the company's growth of assets.

Joining GE Capital Assurance (formerly GNA Corporation) in 1989, Mr. Pinson held numerous positions over the next eight years. He gained valuable experience working with financial institutions, from community banks to large regionals. He successfully directed sales teams in acquiring new relationships and managing all aspects of retail sales operations. His achievements were recognized by GE when he was awarded the Pinnacle Award as a rising star among young executives.

Mr. Pinson began his career at Prudential Financial Services as a registered representative in January of 1983. During his tenure, he was a consistent production leader in a district that employed over 50 representatives. He is a graduate of Presbyterian College with a B.S. Degree in Business Administration and Marketing.

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Kevin Marino

Director of Business Development

Kevin Marino joined Midwood Financial Services, Inc. in August of 2010 as the Director of Business Development where he is responsible for broadening Midwood's relationships with financial institutions and independent broker dealers. Mr. Marino brings over twenty years of financial services experience to the firm. A versatile investment professional, Mr. Marino has spent the majority of his career distributing financial products across all channels.

Prior to joining Midwood, Mr. Marino was a Key Account Manager for MassMutual's Retirement Income Group where he focused on securing and maintaining relationships with financial institutions, independent broker dealers and regional wirehouses. While at MassMutual, Mr. Marino made countless contributions that resulted in increased distribution for the firm's fixed, immediate and variable annuity products.

Before going to work at MassMutual in 2006, Kevin spent 16 years at The Phoenix Companies, Inc., where he spent the majority of his career in key account and product management roles for their investment subsidiary, Phoenix Investment Partners, Ltd. As an Assistant Vice President in their Key Accounts Division, Mr. Marino was instrumental in increasing annuity, mutual fund and managed account distribution by developing relationships with several national and regional firms.

He is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University with a B.S. Degree in Marketing.

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