Hollard says Chairman Duncan West will step down next month as part of a board renewal process, with Non-Executive Director Katrina Barry to take on the position in the interim until a permanent replacement is appointed.

The insurer also today announced former Suncorp CEO Insurance Gary Dransfield will join the business as Independent Non-Executive Director, with effect from September 23.

Mr West, who will also resign as Non-Executive Director on September 23, has chaired the board for the last six years.

He joined the board in 2014 and became chairman the following year. He is a former chief executive of Vero Insurance from 1998-2007 and CGU Insurance from 2008-2011.

“[Mr West] has overseen Hollard’s evolution from a challenger brand to a top five insurer in our partnerships with Woolworths, Greenstone, Steadfast and Austbrokers and, most recently, our entry into a 15-year strategic alliance with CBA,” Hollard Holdings Australia MD Richard Enthoven said.

“Throughout it all [he] has been an invaluable sounding board to me and an integral member of our Hollard family and story.

“Working with [him] has been one of the highlights of my career.”

Hollard Holdings is the holding company of the insurer.

Mr Enthoven says Ms Barry has served with distinction on the Hollard board for close to six years in various capacities including as Chair of Board Investment and Remuneration Committees.

“[She] has been a driving force behind the board’s commitment to being a customer-led organisation, bringing a deeply commercial and strategic lens to Hollard with a focus on digital, data and e-commerce,” he said.

Mr Enthoven says the appointment of Mr Dransfield signals Hollard’s ongoing commitment to having deep sector knowledge on the board.

“I worked with [him] closely on the [Insurance Council of Australia] Board and found him to be a passionate advocate for our industry’s people and customers and I have no doubt he will be an enormous asset to Hollard,” he said.