SMA Strategy Meets Action Expands Insurance Practice

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - October 20, 2009) - SMA Strategy Meets Action (SMA), one of the insurance industry's leading analyst firms, is expanding the company's insurance practice through the addition of two subject matter and strategy experts, Mark Breading and Mary Ann Garwood, who bring in-depth industry experience to the team.

"Mark and Mary Ann are both exceptional additions to SMA's insurance team with their breadth and depth of experience, as well as their strategic thinking and willingness to take a hands-on approach to industry research," said Deb Smallwood, founder of SMA. "With the world and the insurance industry changing so rapidly, it is essential that we position SMA to help the entire insurance ecosystem keep pace with these changes. This expansion extends our capacity and capability to accelerate time-sensitive research projects and extends the breadth of our advisory service offerings to both insurance company and solution provider clients."

Mark Breading has held both technical and business roles in sales, consulting, marketing and business strategy, including roles as IBM's Global Insurance Strategist, Global Insurance Marketing Leader and Director of Global Executive Conferences for insurance and banking. His value proposition to SMA clients is helping them grow their footprint in the insurance industry through strategy, marketing and account planning.

Mary Ann Garwood's credits during her career at IBM include creation of a ground-breaking e-commerce business, pioneering work in insurance connectivity and managed care, and a portfolio of thought-leadership contribution for the insurance industry. As an independent consultant, Mary Ann has worked with IT solution providers in financial services on their go-to-market strategies and branding. Mary Ann brings unique global insurance perspective and experience that will help our customers drive profitable growth and deliver value in new ways.

SMA's insurance practice includes industry veterans with a strong mix of skills and experience across lines of business, insurance functional (capability) areas and technology domains -- offering a unique blend of worldwide insurer and solution provider experience.

For more information about SMA's services or research, contact Deb Smallwood at 603.770.9090 or email her at dsmallwood@strategymeetsaction.com.

About SMA Strategy Meets Action

Exclusively serving the insurance industry, SMA is a new breed of strategic advisory firm offering a unique blend of research, advisory and consulting services to both insurance companies and solution providers. By leveraging best practices from both the management consulting and research advisory disciplines, SMA's advisory services are actionable, business-driven and research-based -- a good fit for companies eager and ready to embrace change and achieve business success by taking strategies to meet action. Additional information on SMA can be found at www.strategymeetsaction.com.

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