Broker group Austbrokers & IBNA Member Services (AIMS) is set to recruit a marketing specialist and overhaul its product and technical services functions, to ensure members can meet future challenges and opportunities.

GM Glenn Schultz says AIMS – a joint venture between Austbrokers and IBNA – is strengthening its services “to ensure we have the right resources available to fulfil member brokers’ future needs”.

He says the role formerly held by long-time marketing and product development manager Greg MacDonald, who retired at the end of last month, will not be continued.

Industry veteran Keith Till has been acting as a consultant in the product development area, and Mr Schultz says additional specialists will be recruited to strengthen AIMS’ product development and enhance its technical expertise.

He says his own experience – previous industry roles include nine years at Aon Risk Services managing market placement and product design and development – “will come in useful”.

“The marketing role is also very important to the future development of AIMS,” he told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “There is a need for our role to be better understood and for AIMS to have a higher profile than we do at present.”

AIMS represents equity and independent brokers handling gross written premium of more than $3.5 billion a year. Its services include negotiated policy wordings for members, training options, compliance and IT support.