Lansing, MI-headquartered Jackson National Life Insurance Company has appointed Emilio Pardo senior vice president, chief marketing and communications officer, a new position at the national annuities company.

Emilio PardoPardo joins Jackson from social welfare organization AARP, which he joined in 2005 and served as chief brand officer, where he was responsible for brand strategy, management and integration throughout the association before being named executive VP and Life Reimagined president in 2014. Prior to that, he was a senior vice president of strategic business development at mass media and entertainment company Discovery Communications, Inc. and was also co-founder and CEO of broadband network company CityNet. He also held a senior VP and senior partner position at Fleishman-Hillard, and was formerly press secretary for Senator Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC).

At Jackson, Pardo will serve as a member of the Prudential plc leadership team, and will be responsible for developing a framework regarding the strategy and direction of branding, marketing and communications across that life insurance and financial services company’s North American business unit. He will be based in Nashville and will report to chairman and Prudential plc North American business unit CEO Barry Stowe.

Jackson, which is owned by British multinational parent Prudential plc, was founded in 1961.