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Appoinments

July 2010 News

BEST DOCTORS ACCOUNT MANAGER

Best Doctors, the provider of medical second opinion services, has expanded its client support team by appointing Benedicta Orumwense as a senior client manager. Orumwense will work with IFAs and other intermediaries to support and assist them in the communication and ongoing education of the Best Doctors’ service to new and existing clients, whether individual or corporate. She joins Best Doctors after working with PruHealth for the past four years, managing key brokers and employers.

AXA PPP DIRECTOR APPOINTMENTS

AXA PPP healthcare has appointed James Freeston (pictured top) as acting distribution director. He succeeds Nick Groom who has left the organisation after just over a year in the role. Freeston will be responsible for the company’s sales and marketing activities for its large and small corporate customers as well as for its intermediary relationships, covering medical insurance, occupational health, employee assistance programmes and other employee wellbeing support services provided by AXA ICAS. He will report to AXA PPP chief executive Keith Gibbs and continue to sit on the health insurer’s management committee. Freston has 22 years of experience working in the UK medical insurance industry, with most of that time being spent at AXA PPP. Freeston’s previous responsibility for management of risk and compliance will be taken on by Nicola Bell (pictured middle), who returns from maternity leave to her role as finance director. In other news, AXA announced that Richard Turner (pictured bottom) as strategy director. Turner, who joins the insurer’s management committee and will report to Gibbs, will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies for AXA PPP healthcare’s medical insurance business in the UK to enable the business to grow new income streams. He will also be supporting the health company’s dedicated business unit, AXA PPP International, on global projects.

JUBILEE SYNDICATE 779

Jubilee has announced that Brian Jackson, the active underwriter of its Life Syndicate 779, will step down after 27 years with the business. Jackson will be succeeded by Jon Clarke who is currently managing director of Lutine Assurance Services, Jubilee Group’s life retail distribution business, subject to approval by Lloyd’s and the Financial Services Authority. Clarke has been with the group since 1992 and has previously held both deputy underwriter and life operations manager positions with the syndicate.

LORICA FLEX APPOINTMENT

Chris Downing has joined Lorica Consulting’s flex team as the company’s first client experience manager. Downing joins from Jelf Employee Benefits to specifically look after flexible benefits and total rewards customers from launch onwards. Prior to his time at Jelf, where he headed the overall flex client relationship for flex and total rewards, he spent ten years with Towers Perrin as client delivery manager responsible for administration and client relationship.

TYLER TO SUCCEED NORRIS AT BUCK

Buck Consultants has appointed Mike Tyler to lead its Health & Productivity practice in the UK. Tyler will succeed Adrian Norris, who is retiring in September. Tyler joins Buck following a career with Mercer where he was UK chief operating officer. Previous to that, he was Mercer’s health & benefits leader, building the practice up to be the largest in the market. Most recently, Tyler ran his own consulting business while being involved in many projects in the healthcare and benefits world, including the role of director for Club Vita (a subsidiary of Hymans Robertson). Norris is retiring after a 21 year career at Buck. Mike Roberts remains Buck Consultants’ UK managing director.

ROYAL LONDON HEAD OF NEW MARKETS

Royal London, the mutual life and pensions company which owns Scottish Provident and Bright Grey, has appointed Simon Cocker as head of new markets for Royal London National Partnerships. Cocker, who will report to Andy Peters, national partnerships director for Royal London’s Intermediary Division, will be responsible for developing the reach of distribution of Royal London’s brands beyond the intermediary market. He joins from Dunfermline Building Society where he was head of business development.

UNUM CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Life and disability insurer Unum has appointed Peter O’Donnell as chief financial officer.

O’Donnell will be directly responsible for managing the financial risks of the company, financial strategy, financial planning and tax management. Prior to joining Unum he spent a number of years in senior finance roles at Royal and Sun Alliance plc and Aviva plc. Most recently O’Donnell was director, group finance for Prudential plc.

GROUPAMA CHIEF ACTUARY

Groupama Insurances has appointed Niraj Shah as chief actuary. Shah, who has over 14 years of experience in banking and financial services including six years in actuarial, joined Groupama in 2006. He moves into his new position having played a leading role in the company’s capital modelling exercise in preparation for Solvency II. He takes over from Steven Blake who will be leaving the company at the end of June to take up a senior management appointment at RSA.

MORGAN KEATING APPOINTMENT

Morgan Keating, the corporate health and wellbeing recruitment consultancy, has announced that Clare Normanton is joining Yvonne Conabeer as associate director. Normanton joins the organisation having worked in various HR roles across a number of blue chip organisations, the most recent being HR director at Eurostar. Kate Bloomfield is leaving Morgan Keating to live in France.

BUPA HEAD OF PROTECTION SALES

Bupa Individual Protection has appointed Steve Casey as head of sales and marketing. Casey will lead Bupa Individual Protection’s sales team and oversee relationship management with key intermediary partners. This is in addition to his responsibilities for marketing.