The Exeter has appointed former Legal & General General Insurance operations director Claire Hird as customer service director.
Hird (pictured) joined the mutual this month and will oversee the underwriting, claims, and customer service functions.
Hird will be joined at The Exeter by two further appointments; Sharon Smith joins as head of business readiness, with Tim Weaver joining as head of operational planning and workflow.
The insurer said these new roles will be key in supporting it as it continued to invest in improvements to its provision of service to members and intermediaries.
At L&G GI Hird was responsible for all customer-facing activity across the company’s insurance business, having initially joined the firm in 2010 as head of sales and service.
In January 2020, Legal & General Insurance Limited, renamed Fairmead Insurance Limited, was bought by Liverpool Victoria General Insurance Group. LV= General Insurance Group is owned by Allianz.
Allianz told Health & Protection that the operations of L&G General Insurance have become part of LV=GI, with Hird’s responsibilities taken on by claims director Martin Milliner and customer and operations director Nicola Dunning.
Isobel Langton, chief executive at The Exeter, welcomed Hird saying: “Anyone who knows me, knows that I am passionate about customer service and the people who deliver it.
“Claire shares that passion and brings a wealth of experience to the role; I am excited about working together and seeing what we can achieve in the future.”
Hird added: “Whether it’s online, via email, letter or telephone, every interaction we have with a member or adviser is an opportunity to exceed their expectations.
“I am looking forward to getting to know our teams and collaborating to deliver positive customer experiences that set us apart from our competitors.”
