The appointment of Shaun Standfield as MD will drive a renewed focus on growth, authorised representative and broker group Insurance Advisernet (IA) says.

insuranceNEWS.com.au revealed Mr Standfield’s appointment and resignation as QBE’s Chief Underwriting Officer Asia in a Breaking News bulletin last Tuesday.

Mr Standfield, who has 25 years’ insurance management experience, was appointed to the Asia role in 2012 after serving five years as QBE’s GM of Australian intermediaries.

He will start with IA in October, replacing Adrian Kitchin, who left in May to become MD of Suncorp-owned authorised representative network Resilium.

IA founder and Chairman Ian Carr told insuranceNEWS.com.au Mr Standfield’s experience will be a catalyst for growth and help tackle disruption to the industry “head on”.

“The insurance industry is experiencing a lot of disruption at the moment, with direct players, for example,” he said. “Shaun’s experience will help us defend against that.

“We have been through some consolidation, but we’re looking towards a growth stage again.”

Mr Carr says IA’s head office will move back to North Sydney.

“We had moved part of our head office to the Gold Coast during Adrian’s tenure, but Shaun is Sydney-based. We’re better off being where the insurers are.”