QBE has hired Aaron Gavin to take the newly created role of Head of SME for its Australian and New Zealand operations, as the insurer looks to grow in this segment.

He will start on March 5 and reports to EGM Intermediary Distribution Jason Clarke.

Mr Gavin was most recently Allianz’s national underwriting manager for SME and personal lines, broker and agency commercial.

“The SME market already represents a significant share of our existing portfolio, but is also one of our areas of focus for growth,” Mr Clarke said. “As such, we needed a dedicated resource to build on the momentum we’ve already made in this space.”