Ireland (pictured) joined Ansvar in 2008 as the regional manager of Queensland, became the deputy general manager of sales in 2013, and then progressed to his current role shortly after.
During his time with Ansvar, Ireland made a significant contribution and had led the national business development team since 2014, overseeing a more than doubling of gross written premium. He also made many friends in the company and across the industry.
“I’ve had an amazing journey with Ansvar over nearly 15 years, and [I am] very proud of what our team has achieved during this time and the contribution Ansvar has made to giving back to the community that it serves. After spending nearly 40 years in the industry, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family and pursuing other interests,” he said.
Ansvar CEO Warren Hutcheon commented: “Ian has played an integral role as a key member of our executive leadership team for many years. We thank Ian for his significant contribution to Ansvar in his nearly 15 years with us and wish him all the best in his retirement.”
As Ansvar bids farewell to Ireland, it has welcomed David Cole as its new chief commercial officer (CCO).
Cole is well-known and respected in the industry, with his extensive knowledge and experience expected to complement the breadth and depth of Ansvar’s executive leadership team. He has over 30 years of insurance experience and has worked in several senior roles with Catholic Church Insurance, Aon, and Marsh.
In his new role, Cole will report to Hutcheon and be responsible for strategic business development and distribution, heading the national client solutions and risk solutions teams.
“I’m genuinely excited to join the Anvsar team, and [I’m] inspired by the opportunity to make a real difference by growing the business to give more back to the community. Being owned by the Benefact Group, whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society and giving all available profits back to good causes, I’m looking forward to leading the Ansvar team through the next phase of growth and guiding our collective contribution of giving back to our local communities,” Cole said.
Hutcheon commented: “We are delighted to have David Cole on board as our chief commercial officer. David is highly experienced, well known within insurance broking circles, and will be an invaluable asset and great complement to our senior management team. We look forward to David’s contribution as a new member of our executive leadership team, guiding the business through the next phase of growth and supporting our goal of growing to give back.”
Cole will spend the next few weeks with Ireland during a handover period before taking the reins of the newly combined team next month. The retirement and appointment follow the appointments of Paul Cowley and Michelle Hay as business development underwriting manager and national manager for SME and business packages, respectively.
