British Friendly has appointed Alex Yates as head of underwriting as one of a trio of hires for the protection provider.
The insurer has also hired Charlene Harvey as product and customer journey manager and Claire May as a key account manager.
May is replacing Emma Vaughan who is now head of protection services at SimplyBiz, while Yates and Harvey are being appointed into new roles.
Yates joined British Friendly having spent two and a half years at The Exeter as underwriting team manager, supporting its income protection and Real Life propositions.
Prior to that he spent 14 years at LV= where positions included working in underwriting development and strategy, with a focus on underwriting data and automation.
Harvey joins from LV= where she spent over 10 years, most recently within the product and proposition team. Yates and Harvey will both report to director of proposition, Claire Kelly.
Key account manager
Meanwhile, Claire May has joined as a key account manager in the sales team, coming from advice network Openwork.
May has more than 15 years intermediary and provider experience having previously worked at Scottish Provident, Friends Life and Aviva.
Director of proposition Claire Kelly said: “We are delighted that Alex and Charlene have joined. They will both play a pivotal role in developing our new business proposition, with a focus on driving innovation, inclusivity and making us easy to interact with for advisers and members alike.”
Natalie Summerson, sales and marketing director at British Friendly, added: “I am pleased to welcome Claire May to the society.
“Claire’s high energy and knowledge of the intermediary market will be a huge strength for us alongside other recent appointments which will significantly increase our presence across the market.”
