RSA: Hiring Willis UK retail boss will 'help take us to that next level'

RSA commercial lines head Jon Hancock has hailed the insurer’s coup in hiring Willis UK retail boss Dan Wilkinson.

Wilkinson is head of Willis UK retail but he will quit the megabroker for RSA. He will become RSA’s mid-market regions director in the New Year.

Willis had pinned big hopes on Wilkinson’s sales skills to lead growth in its UK business, but he left from the top UK retail role after just a year. He had been with the firm for 18 years.

The move is being seen by the industry as a coup for RSA, as it will now have a man in the leading role who can speak the brokers’ language.

Curiously, the move will probably see him work with Mike Lawton on some of Towergate’s higher premium wins. Lawton left his role as head of RSA mid-market to take the helm at Towergate Retail in June.

Hancock said: “Bringing someone like Dan in is a natural next step for us. We are really excited about getting Dan in here. Willis are really disappointed to lose Dan but they have been fantastic throughout this.

“Getting Dan in at the end of January is really important. We want to get him hitting the ground running for the New Year. But our strategy remains to find those sweet spots, trade much smarter with our brokers and get Dan to help us take it to the next level.

“He’s got huge experience of trading across the UK regions. We wanted somebody who has got that huge breadth and depth of experience. He’s renowned for the dedication to his clients. That will bring something different for us as well. He has some different perspectives to help us trade better.”