AXA Commercial Lines chief executive Amanda Blanc has hailed the arrival of Max Carruthers as a " fantastic appointment."

As revealed earlier by insurancetimes.co.uk, former Towergate group operations director Carruthers has followed Blanc to the insurer as chief operating officer.

Blanc said: “Hiring Max is a fantastic appointment for AXA. He will be a great addition to my senior team through his vast experience of the marketplace from insurers to brokers to software houses.

"Max will support me in the day-to-day management of our business and with the execution of our strategic plans. This will re-establish our position at the forefront of the commercial marketplace.”

She continued: "We want to show to our brokers that we are serious about restoring our position as a market leader.

"Good progress has been made so far and, with Max’s appointment, we add more quality and experience to my leadership team. This will help us achieve our ambitions across our insurer and broker businesses.”

Carruthers said he was tempted by a "huge opportunity to create something very special."

"Amanda and I have worked closely together over the last five years and I’m looking forward to working with her again and taking on the exciting challenge she has outlined."

He will join AXA towards the end of 2011 reporting to Blanc and will be responsible for business operations across AXA and Bluefin.