The Victorian-based Regional Insurance Brokers Association (RIBA) has appointed Bill Friend to the role of Executive Officer. He will take up his duties next week.

He replaces Cathy Kelly, who left RIBA earlier this year.

Mr Friend started out with GRE Insurance in Melbourne in 1977 and was manager of the Ballarat branch for several years in the 1980s. He took on a marketing role in Hong Kong for GRE parent Guardian Royal Exchange Insurance from 1992 and was Marketing Manager for Asia and Operations Director based in Jakarta before returning to Australia.

RIBA will relocate its head office from Ballarat to Melbourne to accommodate Mr Friend and attract more members. Stand-in Executive Officer Peter Lalor says it is seen as a progressive move.

“There are no unattached brokers operating in the regional areas and we therefore need to have some additional appeal to attract some city brokers,” he said.

“Bill’s expertise in marketing and his contacts in the industry will be of tremendous assistance in achieving this objective.”