Jason Kestler is a Harvard Business School alumni and recognized leader in the annuity and insurance distribution industry, with more than three decades of experience building organizations, advancing distribution strategy, and driving product innovation across some of the most consequential platforms in the retirement planning space. His career spans the full arc of financial services distribution, from founding and scaling independent marketing, distribution, and securities organizations to leading distribution operations at major broker-dealer and brokerage platforms. He currently serves as Head of Sales at a financial distribution company purpose-built for third-party distributed registered index-linked annuities in the institutional markets. His work across these organizations reflects a consistent philosophy: that the most enduring competitive advantages in financial services are built through trust, alignment, and relationships developed over time, not through short-term tactics. Beyond company-building, Jason has been a consistent voice in industry advocacy and leadership. He has served two terms on the board of directors of the National Association for Fixed Annuities and is a co-founder of NAFA's Annuity Distribution Summit—one of the industry's most respected forums for collaboration and thought leadership. His involvement reflects a long-held belief that the industry rises or falls together, and that the most meaningful contributions extend beyond any single organization. Stepping into the world of publishing, he authored "Don't Do What I Did: Lessons Learned," a business and leadership book written for early-career professionals and anyone navigating the realities of building something meaningful without a roadmap. The book draws directly from Jason's career, offering practical frameworks, candid personal reflection, and hard-won lessons across leadership, culture, strategy, and professional growth.
Author Info
