Allyn D. Close
Senior Vice President,
Sales and Distribution
General Agency and Advisors (GAA)
Al Close is senior vice president of Symetra Financial’s insurance subsidiaries, with oversight of the company’s distribution in the General Agency, Advisors, 403(b)/457 and Corporate Plans marketplaces. Close has been with Symetra Financial since 1998 and in his current position since late 2007.
His team is responsible for building sales through Symetra’s network of independent advisors and agents. The GAA channel helps Symetra’s distribution partners grow their businesses with sound marketing principles, innovative products, and sales concepts that have the ability to expand market share.
Prior to his current position, Close was senior vice president of Marketing for Symetra Financial, where his department had responsibility for branding, communications, business development, incentive travel, product marketing, market research and marketing operations.
From 1999 to 2001, Close also served as president of the company’s in-house broker/dealer, Symetra Investment Services.
Prior to joining Symetra, Close was president and CEO of a regional brokerage firm with offices in every state west of the Rocky Mountains and Georgia, Alaska and Hawaii. He has also been a branch manager for an independent financial planning firm, and a retail financial planner.
Close sits on the Eastside District Board of the Seattle YMCA and has been in a leadership role for its Parent/Child program. He has also served on the Lake Heights Branch Board of the YMCA. He is currently a board member for the Bellevue Downtown Association, and has served as the liaison for the University of Washington Football team and the Tyee Sports Council. Close sits on the Annuities Committee of the ACLI, and is a past president for the Puget Sound Institute of Certified Financial Planners.
Close earned his bachelor of arts degree in business in finance and business economics from the University of Washington. He has his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and holds Series 7, Series 24, Series 53, Series 63 and 65 securities licenses.