Stella Insurance has appointed Victoria Smith to the newly created role of Australia country manager.

The insurer, which launched in Australia in 2020 with motor cover for women, was founded by UK entrepreneur Sam White.

Ms Smith says the company has refined its leadership structure and introduced the country manager position to better align with the business’ evolving needs and capitalise on market opportunities.

Stella offers car, travel and pet insurance and CEO Ms White says it plans to expand into areas such as home and contents. The group has recently grown with the introduction of Stella Brokers.

Ms Smith, who has a finance background, has worked with companies including Suncorp, Centrepoint Alliance and QBE, and has also served as Group of 100 diversity, equity and inclusion subcommittee chair. The group is a business association and advocacy body representing CFOs and senior finance executives.

Ms Smith says focus areas for Stella include growing the car insurance portfolio by refining offerings and introducing innovative features designed to suit female and non-binary customers.

The insurtech also aims to improve customer experiences through the quoting, policy purchasing and claims processes with the application of AI and data insights.

Ms Smith says she was drawn to Stella’s reputation, innovative business approach and team.

“However, what truly resonates with me is Stella’s unwavering commitment to championing gender equality and advocating for women’s social causes – values that I personally believe in and strive to support,” she told insuranceNEWS.com.au.