RSA merges affinity and personal lines broker teams

RSA is merging its affinity and personal lines broker teams into one personal intermediated division.

RSA said the new structure would strengthen its capabilities and propositions for brokers and affinity partners and help it work more effectively.

The new division, comprising 600 people in total, will be led by Mark Allan, who was previously affinity managing director. He will report into UK personal lines managing director Mark Christer.

Broker personal lines managing director Jill White will leave RSA in a few months after helping with the transition.

There are no other job losses as a result of the merger and client-facing contacts for brokers and schemes will remain the same.

Christer said the merger would give account managers more support from central services such as marketing, compliance and e-business.

He told Insurance Times: “We’re starting to see the lines between the broker and affinity market blur. There are brokers effectively set up as affinities trying to attract particular customer segments, and affinities looking to put a panel behind them.

“The key point here is how do we simplify the intermediated business and make it easier for people to access skills and assets across the two divisions?”

Giving an example of how the changes would help each segment, Christer said: “We’ll be able to sit down with an affinity and explain what’s involved in creating and managing a panel. And for the broker communities we’ll make available some of the advice we give to affinities such as training on how to use social media to better service your customer.”

RSA’s personal lines affinity clients include John Lewis, Tesco, Home Retail Group and Marks & Spencer.

Allan said: “I’m delighted to be taking responsibility for our personal intermediated division. Our excellent relationships with our brokers and partners are at the heart of our success and by bringing together these teams we have a great opportunity to strengthen this even further.”