AMP chief lands AA finance post

The AA has appointed former AMP Banking marketing director Stephen Lowe as head of AA financial services marketing, in an attempt to develop this area of its business.

Lowe takes up his post on April 21 and will report directly to AA sales and marketing director Clare Salmon. He will be in charge of the marketing activity behind the AA’s financial services portfolio, offered in partnership with HBOS and other third-party providers. The portfolio includes products such as car loans, personal loans, MortgageCare, the AA account, and the AA Visa card.

Marketing for the AA’s insurance products will remain under the remit of Lloyd East, head of marketing for buying vehicles. He will work closely with Lowe where there are overlaps on product areas, for instance when offering consumers a bundled package of a car loan with a vehicle inspection service.

Lowe replaces Peter Hawtin, a freelance consultant who has covered the role since last October.

Prior to joining the AA, Lowe spent three-and-a-half years working at AMP Banking, a division of Australian financial services group AMP, which he helped to launch in the UK. Before this, he was marketing director for NatWest’s mortgage business.

Last May, the AA announced it would be spending &£22m on repositioning itself as a multi-product company through its “Just ask” advertising campaign. It also announced new call-centre technology to make it easier for staff to cross-sell its products (MW May 16, 2002).