IAG appoints direct insurance chief executive

Insurance Australia Group (IAG) has appointed Andy Cornish as chief executive officer of its Australian direct insurance division.

Announcing the appointment today, IAG said Cornish would replace acting chief executive officer Gary Dransfield, effective late January 2009.

IAG’s managing director, Michael Wilkins, said Cornish had over 30 years experience in the general insurance industry and a “strong track record in successfully growing profitable businesses across insurance classes and distribution channels”.

In his role as chief executive, Cornish will be taking responsibility for the direct insurance business, an insurance provider under the NRMA Insurance, SGIO and SGIC brands (for both personal and business products) with a network of branches and service centres across Australia.

Before joining IAG, Cornish held a managing director role for over nine years with RBS Insurance, the UK’s second largest general insurer, during which he headed the expansion of RBS Insurance throughout China and Europe. “He successfully grew its commercial insurance division, including launching Direct Line for Business in the UK last year,” Wilkins noted.

Dransfield will resume his position as head of retail sales and service for NRMA Insurance, SGIO and SGIC next year, when Cornish begins his new role.