RSA chief operating officer moves to head up personal lines business

Insurer RSA has switched up its UK senior leadership team, with its current chief operating officer Louisa Leonard moving to become managing director of personal lines, subject to regulatory approval.

Leonard will succeed current personal lines boss Kay Martin following her retirement later this year.

Meanwhile, RSA’s chief claims officer, Karl Helgesen, will become chief operating officer, also subject to regulatory approval.

RSA has adopted a new internal structure that will bring its customer and claims operations together, creating a single function to support both end clients and brokers. Helgesen will lead this new division upon his job change.

Customer focus

Helgesen, who is also a board member of RSA’s business in Ireland and the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, as well as the chair of the Insurance Fraud Bureau, initially joined RSA in April 2017 as chief claims officer.

Prior to this, he completed tenures at Aviva and Zurich.

Speaking on Helgesen’s appointment, RSA UK and International chief executive Ken Norgrove said: “RSA is transformed from the business we were a few years ago and I’m proud that today we are strong, profitable and ambitious for growth in our chosen markets.

“Closer alignment of our customer-focused functions will help the next phase of our progression to outperformance – and I’m pleased that Karl is taking on an expanded role.”

Leonard, meanwhile, originally joined RSA in 2000 as a graduate. During her tenure so far, she has held a number of senior leadership roles, as well as spent four years in RSA’s Canadian business.

She returned to the UK in 2019, when she was appointed chief operating officer for RSA’s UK and international business.

Norgrove continued: “I’m delighted that Louisa will be leading personal lines on the next phase of its journey.

“Louisa has worked across every part of our business, driving significant operational gains and improvements for our customers and helping us to continually challenge and improve our culture.

“Louisa is a brilliant example of how great careers can be built at RSA.

“I’m excited for RSA’s next chapter, where we will build on the strong foundations now in place to push towards outperformance, underpinned by an ever greater focus on our customers.”