Prudential seeks chief for e-commerce venture
Life insurer the Prudential Corporation is to launch an e-commerce division and is looking to recruit an e-commerce chief to lead the operation.
The appointee, who will report to Frank Wilson, marketing director of Prudential’s retail division, will create an e-commerce infrastructure, including new IT and business systems.
Wilson says: “There are great opportunities for the Pru in e-commerce, quite apart from nimble start-ups such as Egg – our banking subsidiary. The Pru has significant resources, including an 1,800-strong on-the-road salesforce.”
Wilson says the Pru’s plans are in the early stages. He believes the company can increase profits by selling existing products, as well as new financial services and advice, over the Net.
The Pru’s year-old Website currently offers home insurance, with plans to launch an online motor insurance service in March.
It is understood the company will sell all its products online. Wilson says one initiative is to provide interactive advice in the form of an e-mail question-and-answer service or Website chatroom.
It is Wilson’s first initiative since taking up his post at the start of the year, following a departmental restructure by consultant Mike Sommers.
