Suncorp CEO Patrick Snowball has made clear his wish to return to the UK at the completion of his current contract.

He has used a far-reaching feature in UK insurance publication Post to reveal he is actively networking in the UK “every three to four months” with the intention of returning there in 2013.

While there has been little speculation on Mr Snowball’s future after just 15 months at the head of Suncorp, his tenure and aggressive restructuring have been widely viewed as successes.

The “one company many brands” strategy, new executive team and bank stabilisation efforts have driven a 35% increase in Suncorp’s share price since July last year, which might have prompted the Suncorp board to consider extending his contract.

But Mr Snowball’s first public comments on his tenure at Suncorp have clearly junked any suggestion the former tank commander would consider a permanent postcode in Australia.

Mr Snowball was signed on a $2.1 million starting salary, including a trip home to the UK with his family each year. Including bonuses, Mr Snowball earned $3.4 million during his first 10 months as Suncorp CEO.

He told the Post that succession planning for his departure is being discussed.

“I would love to create something… where I can hand over the reins to an Australian team in three years and use that opportunity to come back to the UK,” he said.

Mr Snowball has kept a low media profile since arriving in Australia, although he posed for pictures in the August/September edition of Insurance News.

At the time of his arrival in mid-2009, Mr Snowball said Suncorp’s problems were threefold: credibility, confidence and culture. The collapse of the group’s share price was also a huge concern.

“I have never seen a turnaround with so much breadth before, because in premium terms Suncorp is the biggest insurer in Australia,” he said.

“But the bank had got into serious strife, and although it had done a lot of the foundation work to sort that out, there was a massive question about whether we should actually retain it or sell it.

“At the same time because the management had been focusing on the bank, Promina had been ignored, so you had a half-complete integration.”

Mr Snowball says he wants to grow Suncorp organically to leave behind a “dull” but strong legacy.

“I have three years of my contract left and in that time we – my team and I – can create a very exciting but dull business.

“And I think dull is good.”