Insurance claims appointments: Sedgwick, Allianz Insurance, Marsh

Sedgwick appoints Colleen Spence as UK head of data science, Allianz Insurance recruits new head of motor claims and Marsh names Alex Guerin as its head of office in London—read about all the latest appointments in insurance claims

Sedgwick has appointed Colleen Spence as its head of data science in the UK.

In her new role, Spence will lead the claims management company’s data science capability in the UK, working closely with global chief data officer Adam Fisher.

Spence will harness new predictive technologies, techniques and data sources to provide actionable insight for Sedgwick’s UK clients, assisting them in reducing claims costs and improving customer satisfaction. She will also work with Sedgwick’s UK operations teams to identify opportunities for improving process efficiency and effectiveness.

Sedgwick’s new head of data science in the UK has more than 15 years of experience. She joins the company from a major insurance group, where she served as analytics lead for nine years.

There, she honed her leadership and management skills, delivering customer-focused analytics and data science insights that drove business growth. She is also experienced in project management, machine learning/data science algorithms and stakeholder management.

Nicola Dryden, Sedgwick’s chief client officer in the UK, said: “Colleen’s experience and leadership make her the ideal person to lead our data science team in the UK. Delivering outstanding service today is only part of our role; we know we need to offer more to our clients, and we’re doing that by using the data we gather to improve outcomes for them and their customers. Data-driven decision making helps us work with clients to reduce claims frequency and severity, improve process efficiency, and deliver a better customer experience.”

Allianz Insurance has recruited a new head of motor claims and appointed three claims managers for property, injury and supply chain.

Ian Kershaw, who was head of claims at Co-op Insurance, joins Allianz as head of motor claims. Another external hire is Anthony Doyle from Crawford & Company, who was appointed technical claims manager for property in June.

The other appointments are internal promotions. Laura Bottomley has become technical claims manager for injury in the major loss team and Sharon Carter has become supply chain manager in charge of property and legal suppliers.

A qualified solicitor, Kershaw spent 15 years with Parabis Group, managing its defendant outsource services and heading its claimant law firm division. After leading transformation at Parabis as a partner and operations director, He joined Co-op Insurance in 2016 as head of injury and third-party claims and then became head of claims.

At Allianz, Kershaw reports to Lee Watts, head of technical claims, who commented: “Ian is a great addition to the team. His extensive experience in motor claims and his leadership skills will be a good fit at this crucial time. The whiplash portal has just been launched, which will have an impact right across the industry. At the same time, at Allianz, we continue rolling out technology to enhance claims service, in particular in motor. Our Claims Hub, for instance, is about to unveil another upgrade.”

Kershaw added: “I am delighted to be joining Allianz Insurance at this exciting time, as changing regulations and car technology mean motor claims are evolving rapidly. With customer and broker expectations continuing to grow, Allianz is an organisation that is continually investing in its colleagues and technology to provide a market-leading customer journey.”

Doyle joined Allianz as technical claims manager for property on 1 June. He previously worked for 10 years at loss adjuster Crawford and Company in various roles, including business transformation and head of field.

He has a wealth of operational and change management experience, having worked within insurance claims for 34 years in total, including for major insurers such as Aviva, Direct Line and Ageas.

Reporting to Allianz’s head of property claims Rebecca Rogers, Anthony will assist the team in providing technical expertise and be a key advocate for the major loss team.

In the major loss team, Bottomley was promoted to technical claims manager for injury, also on 1 June. She has been with Allianz for 11 years, working as a claims specialist within the major loss team, handling claims of the utmost severity. She has recently taken a more active role in implementing new strategies within the team.

Prior to joining Allianz, Bottomley was promoted to technical claims manager for injury, also on 1 June. She has been with Allianz handled personal injury claims at a solicitors firm, NFU Mutual and the Motor Insurers’ Bureau.

In the claims supply and experts area, Carter has been promoted to supply chain manager, looking after Allianz’s relationships with supplier partners in the property and legal areas.

Carter has been with Allianz for 10 years, developing her expertise in the supply and experts area for the last five. Reporting to the head of supplier services, Colin Davies, Carter will focus on strong supplier collaboration to deliver the best customer outcomes.

Marsh has appointed Alex Guerin as its head of office in London for its UK corporate business.

Guerin reports to Andrew Wilton, managing director of Marsh UK corporate’s South region.

Marsh’s UK corporate business provides risk management advice, insurance brokerage and claims advocacy services to mid-size and large organisations through its network of 18 offices.

In this role, Guerin will lead the London corporate business team who advise clients on risk exposures and devise solutions to help them increase their operational resilience and mitigate the risks they face.

The London corporate team represents London-based businesses across all sectors, including financial services, banking, retail and hospitality.

Guerin joined Marsh in 2012 as part of Marsh’s graduate scheme. Most recently, he worked in the UK risk management business as a client executive, serving a broad range of FTSE clients.

Commenting on Guerin’s appointment, Wilton said: “Across the UK, organisations are facing increasing challenges in areas such as cyber, sustainability, and health and safety. With a wealth of hands-on client experience, Alex brings much practical risk and insurance expertise to this leadership role.”

“As we continue to recruit more graduates, Alex’s appointment demonstrates the breadth of opportunities available across the business for colleagues to reach their career potential at Marsh.”

Guerin added: “I am excited by the opportunity to work with a great team of colleagues in our London office as they meet the changing needs of clients. I look forward to broadening our engagement with the businesses we serve, to support and advise them on the key risk challenges they face.”

Mark Dugdale