CMO Services Case Study

SBLI of Massachusetts

From post-acquisition uncertainty to structured growth, SBLI stabilized operations and positioned LegacyShield for scalable expansion.

“Lewis has been an asset following our acquisition of LegacyShield.”

Overview

SBLI provides term life, whole life, annuities, and final expense insurance policies directly to consumers, delivering competitive coverage at lower cost.

Following its acquisition of LegacyShield, SBLI needed to quickly develop a business plan that would unlock the new asset’s capabilities without disrupting overall financial performance.

Only a small number of LegacyShield employees transitioned to SBLI, leaving the organization thinly staffed during a critical integration period.

At the same time, a new product opportunity emerged in early 2022 with significant upside potential. With no Chief Marketing Officer in place, SBLI required experienced leadership to execute the launch, align marketing and business development efforts, and fully leverage LegacyShield’s unique lockbox vault feature to drive retention and growth.

Challenges

Following the acquisition of LegacyShield, SBLI faced a critical integration moment. The business needed to stabilize quickly, but only a small number of LegacyShield employees transitioned over, leaving SBLI with limited internal resources during a pivotal period.

At the same time, SBLI had no Chief Marketing Officer in place. Leadership needed experienced commercial guidance to integrate the new product, align go-to-market efforts, and ensure the acquisition strengthened the company’s financial performance.

Compounding the urgency, a new product opportunity emerged in early 2022, creating significant upside potential if the company could execute effectively.

Goals

To maximize the acquisition’s value and support sustainable growth, SBLI needed to:

  • Stabilize and integrate LegacyShield into SBLI’s operations without disrupting overall financial performance
  • Develop a business plan designed to achieve breakeven or better in the first year
  • Integrate LegacyShield’s lockbox and vault capabilities into SBLI’s digital platforms to drive policy retention, cross-sell opportunities, and competitive differentiation

Solutions

To guide the integration and unlock growth potential, SBLI engaged Lewis Goldman of TechCXO as fractional Chief Marketing Officer and revenue leader. Having already supported SBLI on new product and marketing initiatives in prior years, Lewis stepped in with context and continuity at a critical moment.

Working directly with the CEO and executive team, he provided the strategic structure and execution discipline required to stabilize operations, build a defensible growth plan, and position LegacyShield as a differentiated asset within SBLI’s portfolio.

  • TechCXO worked closely with the CEO and SBLI management to create a comprehensive business plan and go-to-market strategy to support LegacyShield’s business and marketing objectives for 2022, including presenting the plan for approval by the Board of Directors following the acquisition in Q3 of 2021.
  • Create a business and financial plan for LegacyShield to support the remainder of Q4 in 2021 through the end of 2022.
  • Negotiated and executed distribution opportunities leading to the growth of third-party revenue for LegacyShield.
  • Worked with the technology department at SBLI to establish and implement an integration strategy for LegacyShield and SBLI’s core servicing platform (MySBLI.com), as well as on the SBLI.com website.
  • Assisted in hiring a new sales representative to work with the key 3rd party distribution partner to stabilize the distribution channel and revenue stream.
  • Created a financial model following a new partnership with LegacyShield Provider Network (LSPN), where SBLI would offer an enhanced LegacyShield product along with other services provided through advisors to end customers.

As fractional CMO, Lewis Goldman led SBLI’s post-acquisition revenue strategy, building the business plan, integration roadmap, and go-to-market execution needed to stabilize and scale LegacyShield within the broader SBLI organization.

Lewis Goldman

Fractional CMO

Lewis brings decades of experience leading revenue growth, brand transformation, and post-acquisition integration strategies for insurance, financial services, and high-growth companies.

Outcome

Acting as a fractional business leader, Lewis Goldman solved the revenue growth concerns following the acquisition of LegacyShield with go-to-market strategies, business, and financial models. As a result, the company exceeded its renewal goals, adding numerous new advisors to its distribution channel, and soft-launched the new product in Q4 2022 with significant marketing support and expansion planned for early 2023. Within two years, revenue from LegacyShield had doubled from 2022.

Post-acquisition stabilization…

SBLI integrated LegacyShield, exceeded renewal goals, and achieved financial discipline in the first year following acquisition.

Growth acceleration…

With a refined distribution model and enhanced product positioning, SBLI expanded its advisor network and significantly grew revenue year over year.

“Lewis has been an asset following our acquisition of LegacyShield. His expertise in innovative go-to-market strategies and establishing appropriate business structure has accelerated our revenue growth and allowed us to expand our market offerings in 2023.”

- Jim Morgan CEO