Long-serving Vero NZ CEO Roger Bell will step down from the company later this year. He will be replaced on September 30 by Suncorp EGM Retail Distribution Gary Dransfield.

During his 38 years with Vero NZ and its predecessor companies Royal & SunAlliance and Promina in Australia and NZ, Mr Bell has built a reputation for running efficient and profitable operations.

In a statement last week Suncorp CEO Patrick Snowball praised Mr Bell’s tenure as head of Vero NZ, which has been voted the country’s outstanding insurer six times in the past eight years. 

Mr Dransfield joined Suncorp in 2009 from IAG, where he was Head of Retail Sales and Service.

In a note to staff announcing his decision to leave Vero NZ, Mr Bell says he will take a holiday to Europe but will not be retiring.

He says he’s confident the business is in good shape and that although earthquake claims are complex they are now “becoming part of business as usual”.

Mr Bell has already had a number offers for his services, and he says he will now be able to devote more time to his chairmanship of the NZ Business Excellence Foundation.