In the insurance industry there will hopefully come a time when a female taking a senior position at a major firm will be considered the norm – however, for now, someone following in the footsteps of the likes of Inga Beale and Amanda Blanc remains a rarity.
However, one female has not only managed to breakthrough at the top of one major insurer – she’s actually done it at two.
That’s because it has been announced today that Heather Smith has made the switch from her directorial position at
Aviva UK to take on the new position of digital transformation director of general insurance at LV=.
As part of the newly created role, Heather will work across the technical and operational areas of both LV=’s general insurance direct and broker businesses. Her most recent role was director for the Aviva Plc Group’s direct business, leading the development of its My Aviva customer portal and app and driving the brand’s digital development. Heather’s career at Aviva (formerly Norwich Union) spanned 24 years, holding a number of senior positions including marketing director and head of sponsorship and corporate responsibility. As the insurer’s head of rebrand communications she was the general insurance lead for its rebrand from Norwich Union to Aviva.
“I’m thrilled to be joining LV=,” commented Smith. “In recent years LV= has certainly made its mark in terms of providing quality products that best serve the customer’s needs. Digital continues to play a vital role in the delivery of a high quality service that enriches the customer experience and it’s great to be joining LV= at a time when it is truly embracing its digital journey.”
The digital transformation role is the latest strategic addition to the leadership team of LV= GI following the appointment of Kieran O’Keeffe as GI finance director, who will start his new role in October 2016.
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