Ageas has made a number of promotions within its senior management team.

Barry Smith has been appointed chief operating officer of Ageas Group and Andy Watson has been appointed chief executive officer of Ageas UK, both taking on their roles with immediate effect.

In addition and by the beginning of April 2013, Mark Cliff will become chief executive officer (COO) of Ageas Retail and Distribution and François-Xavier Boisseau will become chief executive officer (CEO) of Insurance, with responsibility for Ageas Insurance Limited and Groupama Insurances.

The appointments have been made to further strengthen the development of both the UK and Group wide Ageas businesses.

Barry Smith has taken on a newly created and wider role for Ageas Group reporting to Group CEO Bart De Smet. As COO, Smith is responsible for the implementation of the Group’s strategy across its global activities in the UK, Belgium, Continental Europe and Asia with the four business CEOs reporting to him. Smith will remain on the Ageas UK Board.

Andy Watson, currently managing director of Ageas UK Retail, has become CEO for Ageas UK. Watson has been with Ageas since 2010, overseeing the development of the Retail businesses.

By April 2013, Mark Cliff will become CEO of Ageas Retail and Distribution in the UK. Cliff will be responsible for all Ageas UK’s broker distribution and affinity relationships as well as Ageas’s owned distribution businesses comprising Kwik Fit Financial Services, Ageas Insurance Solutions, RIAS and Castle Cover.

This will bring all Ageas’s distribution activity together under a single leadership team.

Completing the changes within the senior management team, François-Xavier Boisseau will become chief executive of Ageas’s wholly owned Non-Life insurance businesses from April 2013, covering both Ageas Insurance Limited and Groupama Insurances. As CEO of Insurance, Boisseau will lead Ageas’s core capabilities in underwriting, pricing and claims. He has been CEO of Groupama Insurances since 2007.

Boisseau and Cliff will report to Andy Watson.

Bart De Smet said: “As we expand our business globally, we are delighted to appoint excellent and proven business leaders such as Barry, Andy, Mark and François to take us through the next stage of our development. They bring talent and expertise to our Group and a track record of delivering strong results which I’m confident will continue in their new roles.

“By appointing such experienced internal candidates, it is a positive reflection on the strength of Ageas’s management team as well as offering continuity and confidence to our brokers, clients and partners in the UK.”