Swiftcover founder Andrew Blowers has resigned and will step down at the end of the year.

Blowers was chief executive of Swiftcover when it was acquired by Axa in February 2007.

Last year he became non-executive chairman and was replaced by Steve Hardy.

The development follows AXA’s purchase of claims provider SIMS which will bring its claims function in-house. It said the deal was a “logical step” in Swiftcover’s continued expansion and the development of Axa’s direct product offerings.

It said it would also allow better integration of claims and policies, and provide a low-cost business model.

Steve Hardy said: “The way we manage a claim is a key part of the promise we make to our customers when they buy one of our policies. We have ambitious plans to grow our offering under both the Swiftcover and AXA brands.

“By having our claims-handling in-house, we can plan and manage our growth more effectively and further improve on the service we give to our customers, while continuing to handle claims in the most cost-effective way possible.”

SIMS is a specialist personal motor claims provider that manages all of Swiftcover’s claims activity.

AXA said Swiftcover was SIMS’s major customer and the two had worked closely together on product development over the past five years. It has 320 staff based at three offices in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge in Kent, and Staverton in Gloucestershire.