RSA appoints Mike Sommers to head property relaunch

Royal & Sun Alliance (RSA) has appointed former Prudential marketer Mike Sommers to the new role of chief marketing officer of its property services division.

Royal & Sun Alliance (RSA) has appointed former Prudential marketer Mike Sommers to the new role of chief marketing officer of its property services division.

Sommers will relaunch the division through an internal project called New Move, which will make changes to the company’s 428 estate agencies. The aim is to offer homebuyers advice on all aspects of moving home, such as conveyancing and maintenance.

Sommers will report to chief executive of property services Charles Taylor.

Sommers became a marketing consultant in 1995 after a series of high-profile marketing jobs. He says he was attracted to RSA because he wants to “change people’s perception of estate agents”.

Sommers was hired by Prudential in March 1999, as consultant marketing director charged with the task of shaking up the marketing department.

In June of the same year, the Pru announced it would cut its marketing team by almost half, from 125 people to just 70.

Sommers was managing director of MGM Cinemas until 1995, when he became a casualty of the company’s takeover by Virgin. From 1991 to 1993 he was marketing and premises director of TSB.

He joined TSB from Woolworths, where he spent seven years as marketing director and says it was a job he regretted leaving.

Royal & Sun Alliance saw profits plummet from £566m in 1999 to £476m in 2000.