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Senior appointments and people moves - latest

20 July 2010 Breaking News

FERGUS KEE TO LEAVE BUPA AFTER 18 YEARS

Fergus Kee, divisional managing director, UK and North America, Bupa, has decided to leave the organisation to pursue other opportunities. He will be succeeded by Alison Platt.

Kee, who leaves Bupa after 18 years of service, originally joined the organisation in 1992 as financial controller, before becoming the finance and development director of Bupa Hospitals, the UK finance director and the managing director of Bupa's domestic health insurance business, Bupa Health & Wellbeing UK.

Following Kee's departure, Platt will become divisional managing director for Europe and North America, taking responsibility for Bupa Health & Wellbeing UK and Health Dialog, in addition to her current responsibilities for Sanitas and Bupa Scandinavia.

Dr Natalie-Jane Macdonald with remain in her role as managing director of Bupa Health and Wellbeing UK.

Mark Ellerby, divisional managing director for Bupa Care Services, will become responsible for Bupa Home Healthcare. Martin George will become managing director, group development. In this capacity he will be responsible for the Group's marketing, corporate affairs, and medical functions as well as The Bupa Cromwell Hospital.

In a statement, Bupa chief executive Ray King said that during his 18 years at Bupa, Kee made "a very significant contribution" to the organisation.

"Fergus played a key role in developing Bupa in the UK, and led a number of key acquisitions over recent years, including Health Dialog in the US, and Home Healthcare and The Cromwell Hospital in the UK," King said. "He has made a very significant contribution to Bupa over many years. We thank him for the key role he has played in Bupa's growth and development and we wish him well for the future."

UNUM NAMES UK CEO

Unum has announced that Jack F McGarry, senior vice president of benefits and risk management for the company's US unit, has been appointed CEO of Unum UK.

The news follows the announcement by outgoing UK CEO, Susan Ring, that she is stepping down from the role. Ring, who joined Unum UK in 1995 and was appointed CEO in December 2002, will remain with the company in an advisory capacity until February 2011.

McGarry, whose appointment is subject to approval by the Financial Services Authority, joined Unum in 1986 and has held a number of leadership positions in finance, underwriting and benefit operations. He has a degree in mathematics from the University of Vermont.

PMI HEALTH GROUP ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

PMI Health Group, the UK's largest independently-owned specialist provider of employee healthcare services, has formally confirmed the appointment of Iain Laws as account director.

Laws will support and develop the group's strategy to grow its service delivery to large employers, specifically focusing on meeting the rising demand for effective UK and international employee healthcare management programmes. He joins from Enrich where he was commercial director. He brings over 15 years of industry experience including time with Standard Life Healthcare and presidency of an international benefits network.

BUCK EXECUTIVE MANAGING DIRECTOR

Mike Roberts has been named executive managing director of Buck Consultants, A Xerox Company, and will take the consultancy's top leadership position effective immediately.

For the past three years, Roberts has been managing director of Buck's second largest global practice in the UK. He joined Buck in 2000 as principal and senior consulting actuary. Roberts will report to Ann Vezina, executive vice president and group president of ACS Human Resource Services.

Roberts is a qualified actuary and has been a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries since 1994. He will be relocating to New York City and will be based in the consultancy's head office.

MERCER NAMES HEAD OF UK HEALTH & BENEFITS BUSINESS

Mercer, the employee benefits consultancy and advisory firm, has appointed a former director of AXA's healthcare business to head up its Health & Benefits business in the UK.

John Anderson succeeds Monica Santiago in the role, as she transfers to Mercer's business in Portugal.

Anderson, who will be based in London, joins from AXA where he was director of new business development. His previous positions during his 20 years at PPP/AXA have included leadership roles for the SME markets, sales and marketing, and operations. He originally trained as an accountant.

HEWITT'S COWELL JOINS MERCER

Deborah Cowell has joined Mercer as a principal and senior consultant in its Health & Benefits business in London.

Cowell will be part of Mercer's customers and strategic client team and will be responsible for client management and development. Her previous position was as head of the Health & Risk Benefits Group and a consulting principal at Hewitt.

JELF / MANSON WARNER DIRECTOR

Jelf Group plc has confirmed that Jason Britton has been appointed executive director of Manson Warner Healthcare, part of Jelf Employee Benefits, the organisation's healthcare, wellbeing and flexible benefits division.

Britton, formerly commercial manager with Bupa for 15 years, will be based in the group's Manchester office and will report to Glenn Thomas, managing director of Jelf Employee Benefits.

ABI CHIEF STEPS DOWN

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has confirmed that Kerrie Kelly is stepping down from her role as director general to return to Australia for personal reasons.

Maggie Craig, director of life and savings at the ABI, will serve as acting-director general while a permanent replacement for Kelly is found.

Kelly, a former executive director and CEO of the Insurance Council of Australia, took up the role at the ABI in early 2010.

PREMIER CHOICE APPOINTMENT

Premier Choice Healthcare has announced the appointment of Sarah Vernon as an employed senior accounts manager for the Midlands / North. Vernon joins Premier Choice from TL Risk Solutions (Towergate).

HEALTH SHIELD CHIEF RISK OFFICER

Health cash plan provider Health Shield has announced the appointment of its first chief risk officer, Courtney Marsh.

In the newly created role, Marsh will be responsible for managing the implementation of Solvency II at Health Shield, which includes integrating risk management into strategic development processes, identifying key risks facing the organisation and providing relevant training to both board and staff members.

Prior to joining Health Shield, Marsh spent 11 years at Oliver Wyman, the management consultancy firm which provided the actuarial function for Health Shield.

CANADA LIFE APPOINTMENTS

Canada Life Group Insurance (CLGI) has made a number of new appointments to its sales management team.

CLGI said that a new role has been created to focus more on developing the London consultancy and group risk account manager panels, to develop its ecommerce capabilities further and to find strategic partners to build long-term relationships with. Dan Crook (pictured), formerly of Group Insurance, will be transferring back to CLGI after a successful period in Canada Life Wealth Management and will take up a new role as head of sales (London) and strategic partnerships.

Bob Free will extend his responsibilities and adopt a new role as head of sales (Bristol) where he will be responsible for a panel of regional group risk account managers and the business development unit team. Colin Matson, previously distribution director, will move into the customer relationships director role and will replace Pete Cole prior to his retirement on 1 September.

SOVEREIGN APPOINTMENTS

Bradford-based cash plan provider Sovereign Health Care has appointed Mike Bower as chairman of the board.

Bower, who succeeds outgoing chairman Mark Hudson, will continue as a partner at Turner and Wall solicitors in Keighley during his three year tenure.

Sovereign has also confirmed the appointment of Tom Pratt as digital marketing manager. Pratt joins Sovereign in the new role from Provident Financial.

CONSILIUM BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Specialist healthcare intermediary Consilium Employee Benefits has appointed David Morris to the role of business development manager.

Morris joins the business from Bupa, having  previously worked at Standard Life and SPS Wellbeing. In his new role, Morris will be leading SME business development in the London and South East region for Consilium. He will report to business development director Andrew Williams.

LE BEAU JOINS FINEOS BOARD

FINEOS, the provider of core software solutions for insurance and government social insurance, has appointed Peter Le Beau to its board of directors.

Le Beau, a regular Health Insurance columnist, is one of the best known consultants in life and health insurance protection in Europe. In 2009 he was awarded an MBE for services to insurance and was also voted Health Insurance Personality of the Year at the Health Insurance Awards in the same year. Le Beau set up the independent consultancy, Le Beau Visage, in 2001 which focuses on differentiation in the protection sector. He regularly co-authors The Protection Review and runs a strategic discussion group called The-Net-Work. In 2005 he helped set up the Income Protection Task Force to promote a greater awareness of the value of the product. He is also a non-executive director of Red Arc, Health Claims Bureau and Exeter Friendly Society.

NATIONAL FRIENDLY CHAIRMAN

Specialist health insurer National Friendly has appointed Alan Lewis as chairman of its board, following the retirement of his predecessor.

Lewis, who has served on more than 20 boards in the UK, France, Italy, Holland and Finland, first joined the insurer's board in 2009. He succeeds Don Burgess, who chaired the National Friendly managing board since its inception in 2003.

BLOSSOMS HEALTHCARE COMMERCIAL MANAGER

Corporate healthcare specialist Blossoms Healthcare has appointed Claire McCusker as commercial manager, to support the development and growth of the business.

McCusker joins Blossoms with over ten years of experience in the corporate healthcare industry, gained in both South Africa and the UK, having worked in key roles with Discovery Health, Active Health Partners (now part of First Care) and most recently with Capita Health Solutions.

FORTIS HEAD OF SALES

Protection specialist Fortis Life UK has appointed Mark Anders to the position of head of sales.

Anders has over 20 years of industry experience, spanning from regional sales management to senior sales positions.

He joins Fortis Life from Bupa, where he held the position of head of sales. Prior to that, he led LV='s national account team.

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