Former Steadfast IRS COO Harry Georgoulas has joined Insurance Advisernet (IA) as GM Product Development.

Before joining Steadfast IRS in August last year, Mr Georgoulas spent 22 years with JLT as placement manager.

IA’s recently appointed MD Shaun Standfield says the newly created GM position will benefit from Mr Georgoulas’ “very strong relationships in the marketplace”.

“With this experience, his role is to provide assistance to our network of advisers by arranging placement of new and existing hard-to-place business [and] develop and implement scheme opportunities along with other IA product-related initiatives,” he said.

Mr Standfield, who joined IA last month, was most recently QBE’s chief underwriting officer for Asia.

He replaced Adrian Kitchin, who resigned to become MD of Suncorp-owned authorised representative (AR) network Resilium.

Mr Standfield says he is working on a three-year strategic plan for IA focusing on the importance of the advisory role and personal contact with clients.

“There’s a lot of talk about digital disruption, but the personal touch is still very important,” he told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “A big part of my role is to emphasise the value of the adviser model over the price model.”

IA has a network of 150 ARs in Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Standfield is also leading a drive to strengthen the leadership team at IA.

As well as the new product development role, IA is looking to recruit a head of marketing and digital execution – another new position.

“We don’t see digital as a disruptor, we see it as an enabler,” Mr Standfield said. “We intend to use the power of digital to build our business.

“Our focus will be on using digital enablement to enhance the advice that we give our clients.”

His priorities over the next year include “listening to feedback from our network of ARs, building closer relationships with our strategic underwriting partners and developing digital tools that will enhance IA in Australia and New Zealand”.

Tomorrow IA will unveil its new corporate branding, which will usher the company into its 20th anniversary next year.

Mr Georgoulas is based in IA’s North Sydney office.