Hancock Hires Benson

Benson, who has been president of the individual business unit at MetLife Inc., New York, and previously was president of MetLife’s Boston-based New England Financial unit, will take charge of all Hancock insurance and annuity sales, marketing and distribution operations, including management of marketing companies it owns, such as Signator Inc., and building relationships with independent marketing organizations. Benson will also oversee insurance and annuity product design.

Bell, who has been running Hancock’s retail operations, will keep that job, but he will also be in charge of overseeing other insurance, annuity and mutual fund businesses, such as its long-term care insurance operations and its Canadian, Chinese and Southeast Asian operations, Hancock says.