Carlton Hood has been appointed CEO of protection provider Guardian from 1 May.

The former CEO of Confused.com will replace interim CEO and chairman Peter Mann who has been searching for a new CEO since taking over as interim in October.

Former financial adviser Mr Mann will remain with the protection provider as non-executive chairman. He first joined the firm as chairman in 2018.

Mr Hood has over 25 years of financial services experience including most recently as group CEO of equity release broker Responsible Life. Former roles include chief customer officer at Old Mutual (now Quilter).

He will lead Guardian’s executive team with includes chief operating officer Duncan Mosely, chief financial officer Nischal Singh, commercial director Hilary Banks, and group chief technology officer Ruth Starsmeare.

Mr Hood’s appointment remains subject to regulatory approval.

Interim CEO Peter Mann worked with Mr Hood previously at Old Mutual. He said: “I’ve had the pleasure of working with him at Old Mutual, now Quilter, and his motivation and commitment are second-to-none. We look forward to benefitting from his proven track record of growing businesses in challenging market conditions and building teams that put customers first.”

Mr Hood began his career working as a strategy and marketing consultant with the Boston Consulting Group, before joining the Old Mutual team based in South Africa. Other previous roles include three years as CEO of insurance comparison firm Confused.com.

Mr Hood said: “Guardian has already built a reputation for service excellence and product innovation.

“Now, the next stage is to turn that strength into sustainable market leadership. I’m excited to join the team for the next stage of Guardian’s journey, ensuring we stay ahead of change and continue to raise the bar for customer outcomes in the industry.”

London-based Guardian Financial Services was first established as a fire and life insurance provider in 1821. It is an appointed representative of Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Ltd.