Zurich Financial Services UK is searching for a corporate affairs
chief for its general insurance arm, created earlier this year in a
merger between Zurich and British American Financial Services.
The new strategic support director will report to Zurich general
insurance chief executive Patrick O’Sullivan and oversee a team of 10,
including corporate affairs and marketing staff. The role covers brands
including Eagle Star and Zurich Municipal, and will oversee research,
advertising, corporate identity and branding as well as PR.
’In the new structure, marketing will be subsidiary to corporate
affairs,’ said Zurich corporate affairs manager Wendy May.
This week, most of Eagle Star’s 19-strong in-house team, based in
Cheltenham, were made redundant. Only one PR officer agreed to relocate
to its general insurance headquarters in Portsmouth.
Eagle Star corporate affairs head Steve Wigzell was due to take the top
PR job at Zurich’s general arm, but he left just after the October
merger.
Part of the new director’s remit will be to advise on how Zurich should
rebrand its financial services portfolio. Zurich has two UK businesses.
The general insurance arm owns the Eagle Star, Zurich Municipal, Home
and Overseas, and Navigators and General brands. The other business
covers life insurance, pensions and investments. It owns Allied Dunbar,
Eagle Star Life, Esprit, Sterling, Threadneedle and Zurich Life.
Each division is likely to unite its services under a single brand; any
of the Zurich, Allied Dunbar or Eagle Star names could be chosen.
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