LifeSearch has appointed Nick Rixon as head of business protection and expert advice.

The appointment comes as LifeSearch reports a 28% increase in business protection conversations so far in 2026, alongside rising inheritance tax-related enquiries and growing underwriting complexity.

It said one in four of its customers are now placed on non-standard terms.

Rixon has spent almost 13 years at LifeSearch, progressing through a range of advisory, leadership and specialist roles.

He spent five years as a senior protection adviser, developing expertise in complex protection cases, before moving into senior leadership positions for more than six years.

He most recently spent two years as senior advice leader – insurer relationships, working closely with provider partners to strengthen relationships and improve outcomes for advisers and clients navigating complex protection needs.

Rixon commented: “For business owners and high-net-worth clients, protecting the value they’ve created is as important as creating it in the first place, yet in my experience, protection is still one of the last conversations they have with their adviser.

“Having spent years working directly with advisers and clients on the most complex cases, I’ve seen how much value is lost when protection sits outside the wider financial plan rather than at the heart of it.

“My focus in this role is to make sure that wherever a client’s needs are complex -whether that’s business protection, IHT planning or high-net-worth cover – they get advice that’s properly integrated into wider financial planning.

“That’s what will make the biggest difference to outcomes as demand in this space continues to grow.”