Suncorp Life has promoted David Carter to the position of direct distribution executive general manager, tasking him with leading the business’s strategy to target life insurance sales through Suncorp Group brands.
The appointment comes on the back of the group’s announcement earlier this week that Jordan Hawke had been promoted within the group’s Asteron business as part of a company restructure in which Suncorp Life aims to double new business over three years.
As part of the restructure, Suncorp Life would be focused on two distribution channels, being the specialist independent financial adviser (IFA) market, led by Hawke, and the direct distribution to existing Suncorp customers, which would be led by Carter.
Suncorp Life chief executive Geoff Summerhayes said for the first time the business was fulfilling the opportunity to unlock the value of the Suncorp customer base.
“Our chief executive Patrick Snowball’s mantra of ‘one company, many brands’ opens access to customers who are already predisposed to buy insurance from our leading brands including GIO and APIA – brands that Suncorp owns and operates,” Summerhayes said.
The group said a greater focus on these distribution channels would help leverage the Asteron risk business on the back of the direct distribution to their general insurance business.
Carter, who initially joined the Suncorp Group as head of dealerships for Asteron in 2006, has been responsible for the Suncorp Group’s owned and aligned distribution channels, including the aligned channels of Guardian, Cameron Walshe, and Standard Pacific, the Suncorp branded advice businesses.
During 2009 he took on responsibility for delivering the revitalised Suncorp Life Direct Marketing business model, which launched in May 2010.
