Bright Grey and Scot Prov to remain separate - Edwards

Royal London maintains its similar Bright Grey and Scottish Provident protection propositions will remain separate after unveiling the management team that will oversee both brands.

Roger Edwards, who has been named proposition director of the new unit, says it is in the team's remit to ensure the brands "complement, rather than compete with, one another".

On 1 April, Royal London announced the two companies would come under the control of a single management team led by Ross Ainslie, who left Scottish Provident to help launch Bright Grey for Royal London in 2003.

It sparked fresh speculation the firm was on the verge of merging the propositions, which some commentators said were effectively competing for business.

Royal London has now announced Ainslie will be joined by Steve Streak as sales director, Gordon Watson as operations director and Susan Sneddon as retail director.

Proposition director Edwards will oversee the pricing, product development and IFA marketing teams for each business.

"The remit I have been given is to keep and maintain both propositions," Edwards says. "We want to make sure we are complementing, not competing with, one another and we must strongly promote each brand separately."

Meanwhile, Royal London has announced Alison Turner-Holmes, currently marketing director with Scottish Provident, will leave the business in July.

scott.sinclair@incisivemedia.com