RSA prepares for Jackson’s retirement

The changes have been prompted by the pending retirement of the firm’s general manager of sales and marketing development, Tom Jackson. They affect the senior team reporting to the managing director of Royal & SunAlliance's life and investment business, Christine Scott.

Three new general manager positions have been created in marketing, corporate services, and operations and customer service. The marketing role has been advertised internally and externally, while the other two positions are likely to be filled internally, Scott says.

Some reporting lines are also changing. For example, the managers of intermediary distribution and strategic partners, who previously reported to Jackson, will now report directly to Scott. This reflects the importance of distribution to the company, Scott says.

The changes only affect RSA’s life and investment business, not its fire and general operations.

Jackson, who will retire in June, ran Guardian Assurance before RSA bought it three years ago.

Meanwhile, RSA says it is the first New Zealand insurer to recognise new medical diagnostic tools as the basis for trauma insurance claims from heart attacks.

The move means clients diagnosed as having suffered a heart attack by the new tools don’t risk having their claims declined because their insurer doesn’t recognise the tools.

RSA says it is the only New Zealand insurer to accept a heart attack has occurred based solely on levels of troponin, a protein found when the heart muscle is damaged.

"Of the seven other leading life insurers, six still only specify heart attack claim diagnosis on enzyme and ECG changes and/or clinical features, while the seventh specifically excludes troponin," it says.

However, AXA says it added these new methods to its trauma definition for its risk protection plan in January.

"RSA is following the market not leading it," AXA says.

Commenting is closed