St Andrew’s Australia chief executive John Van Der Wielen has been made director of distribution for HBOS plc’s insurance and investment division in the United Kingdom.
Van Der Wielen will have responsibility for more than 370 business development managers and oversee HBOS’s pension and life insurance business, including the clerical medical unit, which has £39 billion ($98 billion) in funds under management.
“His appointment acknowledges the importance of the Australian operations for HBOS plc and the success we have had in growing our business here in Australia,” HBOS Australia chief executive David Willis said.
St Andrew’s Australia wealth management director Paul Northey has been appointed St Andrew’s Australia acting chief executive.
St Andrew’s Australia is the insurance and wealth management arm of HBOS Australia through HBOS-owned BankWest.
Van Der Wielen said he was looking forward to the new challenge, but it was not without regret that he left St Andrew’s.
“We have set a solid foundation with a combination of organic growth through our BankWest branches and other financial partners, and through strategic acquisitions such as RACV Financial Services in Victoria in 2005 and Whittaker Macnaught earlier this year, which has given us increased scale and geographic coverage,” Van Der Wielen said.
Van Der Wielen was appointed St Andrew’s Insurance (Australia) managing director in 1998.
He was previously Fortis Group state manager for both South Australia and Western Australia.
