Royal London Boosts Its Protection Expertise With Appointment of Debbie Kennedy

Royal London announces the appointment of Debbie Kennedy as Head of Protection Proposition Design within its Intermediary division (RLI).

Debbie will join the company on 29September and will be responsible for the leadership and direction of RLI's protection proposition encompassing the Bright Grey and Scottish Provident brands. Debbie's remit will cover the key components of product, customer experience, underwriting, claims and reinsurance.

With over 30 years' experience across the life and pensions and reinsurance industry, Debbie has a particular focus on and passion for protection. She joins the company from Capita, where she established a shared service model for underwriting and claims and was appointed Managing Director responsible for Capita's professional services lines. Prior to Capita, Debbie held a number of senior management roles in fields including underwriting and claims, business transformation and strategic change, in the direct office market and reinsurance market.

Isobel Langton, CEO of RLI commented: “Debbie is the perfect fit for RLI, bringing an enthusiastic blend of experience and fresh perspective to drive our growth ambition in the intermediated protection market.”

Bright Grey and Scottish Provident are Royal London's UK intermediary protection businesses. Bright Grey offers products including life, critical illness and income cover through financial advisers. It includes the Helping Hand care advisory support service which is available to customers even if they don't make a claim. Scottish Provident is a pioneer in the protection industry. Through financial advisers it offers products including life, critical illness, income protection and unemployment cover as well as its Pegasus whole life plan.

Over the next two years Royal London is moving to operate all of its UK life, pension and investment business under a new brand. Royal London Asset Management has already adopted the new brand. The Scottish Life, Scottish Provident and Bright Grey brands will migrate over the next 18 months. Under the single brand, RLI will remain focused on delivering specialist high quality pension and protection propositions through advisers.

Notes to Editors:

About Royal London:

Royal London is the largest mutual life and pensions company in the UK with Group funds under management of £77.0 billion. Group businesses serve around 5.3 million customers and employ over 2,900 people. (Figures quoted are as at 30 June 2014).

Over the next two years the Group is moving to operate all of its UK life, pension and investment business under a new version of the Royal London brand. Royal London Asset Management is now under the new master-brand and the Scottish Life, Scottish Provident and Bright Grey brands will migrate over the next 18 months. The Group's wrap platform will remain branded Ascentric.

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