Senior management changes as MUA restructures

According to Christelle Fourie, MD of MUA, centralising these functions will enable the company's branches to focus on the critical task of marketing, growing market share and delivering great service to its clients. "The primary objectives of this centralisation are to increase shared accountability for outcomes, reduce end-to-end processing costs, improve customer satisfaction and enable operating units to focus on revenue-generation activities."

Delouise Marais, previously the regional manager: Gauteng, has been appointed as the new executive head: underwriting and will have the joint responsibility along with Michelle Bellin, originally national claims manager and now in the position of head: claims, to ensure the success of the Shared Service Team.

"Our core focus will be to drive high performance and ensure a true 'private client' experience. We have centralised the underwriting and claims team so that we can focus on creating efficiencies, look at continuous improvement and improve the broker's experience. My role will be to look after both the underwriting and policy account's team to ensure that we meet these objectives," said Marais.

Aim to maintain personal service and relationships

Bellin said that her new role will involve the claims teams reporting directly to her, as opposed to regional managers. "We aim to ensure that we maintain the personal service and relationships that the brokers have enjoyed and value when dealing with MUA and, ultimately, maximise the efficiencies."

Warwick Scott-Rodger, who joined the company as marketing manager in May 2012, has been appointed as the new regional manager: Gauteng.

Scott-Rodger said that in his new role he plans to focus on managing the existing relationships with the company's business partners, while ensuring that the company grows its market through strategic engagements and a dedicated service model. "The Joburg office will consist of a sales and marketing team that is dedicated to being broker-centric and has the ability to make immediate decisions to ensure a personalised service at all times. We understand that the 'private client' type of individual expects a bespoke experience and, therefore, we will need to meet these expectations through timeous delivery and clinical execution."

"By having the combination of a decentralised sales focused team and centralised service team we believe that we will create a new servicing model that will meets our brokers' needs and ensure the continued success and sustainability of MUA," concluded Fourie.