Life insurance broker, LifeSearch, has appointed Sam Stafford in the newly created role of chief data officer.

Sam Stafford’s data analytics experience spans over two decades, helping organisations across a breadth of sectors to leverage the power of data and analytics. Specialising in data science and machine learning, he has a broad range of experience across the data landscape. Most recently he was head of digital data science at Admiral Insurance where he had ownership for the strategy and vision for data science and machine learning for its digital channels.

At LifeSearch Stafford (pictured) will be responsible for the design and implementation of real-time customer insights, driving better customer propositions, improving journey conversions and customer outcomes. The newly created role is part of the broker’s plan to build on its digital transformation and invest in customer journeys that speak to different needs and expectations, allowing customers to move intuitively from online to offline, with human support there when its needed.

He will report to Debbie Kennedy and will sit on the LifeSearch executive committee.

Kennedy, chief executive at LifeSearch said: “Like most financial services businesses we are not short of data but corralling this into actionable data and effective insights to ensure we are solving the right customer problem is often the challenge. We have been improving our customer journeys with new guidance tools and Sam’s experience and proven track record in the data analytics field will help accelerate our move to deliver better customer outcomes.

“Our data is a vital asset in driving our focus on distribution quality and Sam’s appointment reflects the criticality of data and the importance of insights to our business.”

Stafford added: “I’ve spent the last 25 years of my career helping organisations to become more successful by leveraging data to respond to real life challenges and achieve better outcomes for staff, shareholders, and customers.

“I am delighted to be joining LifeSearch at such an integral point during their next period of growth and journey to digital transformation. I look forward to being part of a company that has a strong record of success in the protection market, engaging culture, and ambitious plans. My experience has shown the power of unlocking value in data through machine learning, insights and business intelligence and, with over two decades in business, LifeSearch has a wealth of data to unlock that will ultimately benefit the consumer experience.”