Zurich poaches Churchill chief for insurance drive

Zurich Financial Services has poached Churchill marketing director Peter Corfield to spearhead the pan-European launch and roll-out of direct brand Zurich Connect.

UPDATE: Zurich Financial Services has poached Churchill marketing director Peter Corfield to spearhead the pan-European launch and roll-out of direct brand Zurich Connect.

Corfield, who joins in November, will be chief marketing officer of Zurich’s Europe General Insurance (EGI) Direct business division, which was created in July. He will lead the marketing for all Zurich’s personal and small commercial direct insurance operations in Europe.

The Zurich Connect brand launched in Germany last month offering products including motor and home insurance and will roll out across Europe the next 12 months. Zurich says it is the first insurer to introduce a unified range of pan-
European products and services on the web.

Corfield joins the company from RBS Insurance, where he is director of brand and proposition. He worked across the Direct Line and Privilege insurance brands. He has been replaced by director of strategy Lisa Mackay-Smith, who will retain her current responsbilities but will have the title director of strategy, brand and proposition.

Corfield joined the company as marketing director for Churchill in January 2004 with a brief to revamp its bulldog brand icon.

He moved to the same role at Direct Line in June 2005 after Jim Wallace retired in 1005 (MW January 27, 2005). However, he returned to Churchill following the appointment of Mike Tildesley.

Corfield and Tildesley were promoted to group roles working across all RBS Insurance brand after the appointment last year of former Prudential marketing director Roger Ramsden as director of strategy and marketing.

Mackay-Smith will report to Ramsden and work closely with group marketing director Tildesley and Nigel Grimes, who is poised to take the role of customer insight director (MW September 13).