Berkley Insurance Australia (BIA) has promoted Kirsty Owens to the new full-time role of national e-business manager, reflecting the growth of the firm’s digital distribution and evolving market trends, particularly for SME customers.

Ms Owens, who has more than 20 years’ experience working for underwriters and brokers in Australia and London, has been leading SA and also an expanding e-business team.

“Kirsty, formerly the SA State Manager, will now dedicate her expertise full-time to augmenting the capabilities of BIA's online and e-business portals,” BIA National Underwriting Manager Matthew McPhee said today.

“Her role will also involve exploring avenues for expanding BIA's product and distribution horizons.”

Ms Owens will report to BIA CEO Tony Wheatley, while in other changes Kimberly Maisey has been appointed as SA Manager, reporting to Mr McPhee.

The insurer says in recent years it has been at the forefront of digital distribution innovation, providing general liability and professional indemnity cover on the Steadfast Client Trading Platform and expanding its BindIT broker portal.

“Recognising the vast potential and the pace at which the online portals are growing, BIA is now channelling more resources to provide enhanced portfolio management, strategy, and focus to this pivotal distribution avenue,” the company says.

BIA released BindIT in 2021, starting with information technology liability, followed by management liability. In August, it said it had further expanded the platform to offer clients access to public and products liability insurance options. 

The platform simplifies processes and allows quoting and binding of policies in minutes, the company says.