Barclays Premier Banking chief makes the switch to insurance

Barclays has promoted the marketing director of its Premier Banking service to the same role at its Insurance brand, which relaunched 12 months ago.

Mark Till takes over from interim appointment Rob Rees, who joined Barclays Insurance in December last year (MW December 1, 2005).

The bank signed a partnership with Aviva to sell products underwritten under the insurance giant’s UK brand Norwich Union from April last year. Previously Barclays had distributed Legal & General insurance products.

Till, who has worked at Barclays most of his career, will report to Barclays Insurance managing director Adrian Grace and Jim Hytner, group brand and UK banking marketing director. Till has also worked on Barclays’ small- and medium-sized business marketing teams and in the branch network as a corporate area manager.

Rees is believed to be leaving the insurer next month following a hand-over to Till. It is not known if the marketer, co-founder of marketing consultancy Freestyle, has a role to go to. Prior to joining Barclays he worked at Lloyds TSB-owned Scottish Widows, where he was interim director of customer and brand.

A Barclays spokesman says the internal promotion marks the second phase of increased activity for the general insurance arm and that Till will be charged with overseeing the growth of the brand. The marketing director role at Premier Banking remains unfilled.

Barclays has sold insurance for more than 30 years but has lagged between high street banking rivals Lloyds TSB and Royal Bank of Scotland, which owns market-leading insurers Direct Line and Churchill.

Last year Grace said the bank aimed to increase its insurance customers from 500,000 to 1.5 million within five years.