Steve Payne has been appointed by Friends Life as managing director for its protection business.

Payne will be responsible for developing and implementing the strategy for Friends Life’s individual and group protection business across all distribution channels.

The newly enlarged Friends Life business recently announced plans to consolidate its individual protection propositions onto a single platform for all new business for the IFA market.

This proposition will be built using the platform from the recently acquired life assurance business and will include what the firm calls the “best”” elements of the Friends Provident individual protection offering and the heritage protection business acquired from AXA.