AIA Australia has announced 14 new members have been added to its 38-member retail division.
AIA said the new hires are part of the firm’s strategy to offer more support to advisers and dealership partners, with a focus on helping advisers grow their businesses and provide assistance in navigating regulatory change.
The new hires include national client development manager Amy Mitchell, adviser contact team manager Kirianne Hall, technical sales manager Tom Gordon, four new client development managers and four senior client development support staff, and three underwriting development consultants.
Head of retail distribution Pina Sciarrone said AIA Australia was also in the process of recruiting a new head of dealerships to boost the support provided to these partnerships.
AIA said it last year changed the structure of its retail division to move away from the traditional sales manager model focused on product and quote systems, to client development managers with an increased focus on supporting and partnering with financial advisers.
The change was in response to regulatory changes and an increased focus on advisers and dealerships, AIA stated.
The different skill set now required of client development managers has resulted in additional in-house training as well as external hires, Sciarrone said.
"It’s not easy for an adviser to run a small business on their own.
"Advisers often don’t have the human resources, marketing and administrative resources within their practices, and with the increasing cost of providing advice and a greater competitive market there is a need to help our advisers in any way we can to make their businesses more efficient, successful and profitable," Sciarrone said.
