RSA begins hunt for new UK personal lines boss

RSA's UK personal lines managing director Mike Holliday-Williams has been appointed chief executive of RSA Scandinavia.

The move means RSA is now hunting for a new boss to lead the personal lines business, which includes MORE TH>N.

An RSA spokesman said it was "business as usual" as it begins a "thorough recruitment process" to find his successor. He added RSA will look at both internal and external candidates.

In the meantime, Mark Christer and Steve Kingshott will report directly to UK chief executive Adrian Brown and sit on the UK executive team.

Christer will continue to lead MORE TH>N and Kingshott will oversee the intermediated and partner businesses.

Brown said: “While I’m sorry to see Mike leave the UK team, I know he’ll be a real success leading our Scandinavian business.

"We have a strong management team in our personal business and the recruitment process to find Mike’s successor is already underway.”

Holliday-Williams's new role means he will be responsible for RSA’s Scandinavian operations in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland and the Codan and Trygg Hansa brands.

He starts the role on 1st February 2011 but will be in post from January to ensure an orderly handover with Rickard Gustafson who is leaving to become chief executive of SAS Scandinavian airlines.

RSA's international chief executive, Simon Lee, said: “I am delighted that Mike is going to lead our Scandinavian business. He has the right combination of experience and vision to drive our business forward.

"Over the last four years, he has overseen growth in the UK personal lines market in challenging conditions."

Holliday-Williams added: “I am excited to be taking on this new role. Scandinavia is a key region for RSA and I am very much looking forward to the opportunity of working with the team to continue to grow the business profitably, building on the great work that Rickard has done.”