AXA signs up Land Rover chief for awareness drive

Insurance company Axa has appointed former Land Rover brand director Andy Hurst to take over the newly-created role of director of brand development.

Hurst will be in charge of brand development across all Axa UK operations and reports to Andy Homer, chief executive of Axa Insurance. Homer also co-ordinates brand activity across the UK for Axa Sun Life, the company’s life insurance brand, and PPP Healthcare, the health insurance brand.

Hurst will work alongside the marketing teams of all the individual divisions, in order to “accelerate the Axa brand awareness”.

Hurst partially replaces Axa’s former marketing director Simon Rhodes, who left the company in March. Rhodes joined the Liverpool and Victoria Friendly Society last month as group director, marketing and sales.

At Land Rover, Hurst was responsible for global brand strategy for vehicles, new product development and current product maintenance. He oversaw the launches of the series 2 Discovery in 1998 and Freelander in 1997.

Land Rover has promoted former product lifecycle manager Peter Low to Hurst’s role, giving him the new title general manager, 3-d Experience, with responsibility for global brand strategy, lifestyle products, events, sponsorships and launch activities.

At Axa, Hurst will also be responsible for Axa’s sponsorship of the FA Cup.

He says: “The Axa brand has grown significantly over the past two years and the FA Cup sponsorship has made a major contribution to the brand awareness. Now is the time to build on that success.”

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