EXHIBIT 31.1

                                  CERTIFICATION

I, William T. McCallum, certify that:

     1.   I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Great-West
          Life & Annuity Insurance Company (the "registrant");

     2.   Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain
          any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
          material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of
          the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
          misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly
          report;

     3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
          financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly
          present in all material respects the financial condition,
          results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of,
          and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

     4.   The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible
          for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
          procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and
          15d-15(e)) for the registrant and we have:

        a)  designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
            disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
            supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
            registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
            known to us by others within those entities, particularly during
            the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

        b)  evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
            controls and procedures and presented in this quarterly report
            our conclusion about the effectiveness of the disclosure
            controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by
            this quarterly report based on such evaluation; and

        c)  disclosed in this quarterly report any change in the
            registrant's internal control over financial reporting that
            occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that
            has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
            affect, the registrant's internal control over financial
            reporting; and

     5.   The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed,
          based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
          financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
          committee of registrant's board of directors (or persons
          performing the equivalent function):

        a)  all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
            design or operation of internal control over financial reporting
            which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's
            ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
            information; and

        b)  any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
            other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
            internal control over financial reporting.

Date: November 12, 2004


                                         /s/William T. McCallum
                                         -----------------------
                                         William T. McCallum
                                         President and Chief Executive Officer