IAG Restructures Marketing Leadership, Four Execs Face Reapplication

IAG, the parent company of NRMA Insurance, is restructuring its marketing leadership team less than six months after appointing Emily Roberts as its Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, consolidating four senior roles into three.

Four Executives Required to Reapply as New Structure Takes Shape

The restructure places four executive managers under review: Mark Echo, who led channel and performance marketing; Sally Kiernan, executive manager of marketing, brand and communications; George Exikanas, executive manager of marketing growth and brand strategy; and Luke Farrell, a 14-year IAG veteran overseeing partnerships and marketing operations. All four must reapply for positions in the new structure.

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The three incoming roles, two of which are already advertised on LinkedIn, are brand and acquisition marketing, customer engagement and retention, and business performance and planning.

An IAG spokesperson said the changes aim to "streamline ways of working and accountabilities to better support the delivery of our strategic vision" and ensure marketing teams "deliver the greatest impact for our customers and the business."

Structure Shifts From Channels to Customer Outcomes

The previous four roles were organized around specific marketing functions and channels. The new three-role model reorganizes accountability around the customer journey: attracting new customers at the top, keeping existing customers engaged in the middle, and measuring commercial results at the bottom.

Roberts was appointed effective 24 November 2025, replacing Michelle Klein, who departed to join Westpac. Roberts brings more than 20 years at American Express, most recently as Vice President and General Manager of Consumer and Commercial Services for Australia and New Zealand, a role that spanned consumer, commercial, and merchant operations simultaneously.

IAG CEO Julie Batch cited Roberts' ability to "unify complex business lines and drive transformation" as the rationale for the appointment, framing the Chief Customer and Marketing Officer role as a strategic business leadership position rather than a traditional marketing function head.

Restructure Sits Within Broader IAG Corporate Transformation

The marketing reorganization follows a wider corporate restructure at IAG that created two customer-facing divisions: the Australian Consumer Division and the Australian Business Division. Each division carries direct accountability for sales, service, brand, and marketing execution, placing marketing leadership closer to business unit financial results.

IAG's creative agency relationship has also undergone consolidation. The Monkeys, IAG's former creative agency, was integrated into Droga5 ANZ and then into Accenture Song. By contrast, Initiative has maintained its media agency of record status since 2021, providing continuity on the media side through multiple leadership transitions.

Roberts Inherits Active Brand Portfolio Amid Transition

Roberts steps into the role with an active brand workload. IAG adopted the "A Help Company" platform for NRMA Insurance in July 2024. The centenary brand film "The Lighthouse," created with Accenture Song, and the Cricket Australia Ashes campaign "Helping the game we love continue to thrive" were both produced by the four executives now under review.

IAG's brand portfolio spans NRMA Insurance, CGU Insurance, RACV Insurance, and youth-focused brand Rollin, requiring the new structure to serve distinct customer segments across multiple brands.

Roberts stated she was excited about "leading IAG's customer and marketing strategy with its trusted brands to deliver value for customers, people, and communities." The outcome of the reapplication process has not yet been publicly announced.