Less than two weeks after being promoted to head of life insurance operations, Protective Life Corp. Senior Executive Vice President Allen Ritchie resigned to pursue other opportunities.

John D. Johns, chairman and chief executive of the Birmingham, Ala., insurer, will handle his responsibilities.

Ritchie, who will stay on with the company for a short transition, spent the past five years as chief financial officer of Protective Life. He was promoted Sept. 1.

Protective Life generates annual revenues of $2 billion, and had $29 billion of assets as of June 30.

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