Direct Line Group announced three new appointments to its Executive Committee to further strengthen its management capability and drive growth. Craig Thornton is to be appointed Managing Director, Home and Growth, Martin Milliner as Managing Director of Claims and Hugh Hessing as Chief Operating Officer. All three appointments will report directly to the CEO and are subject to regulatory approval.

In addition, the Group announced two further senior appointments: Roger Lowry as Director of Corporate Affairs and Alexandra Hayes as Chief of Staff to augment and strengthen the skills and experience of its leadership team. Both appointments will report directly to the CEO, Adam Winslow, and will attend the Executive Committee. In the role of Managing Director Home and Growth, Craig Thornton will lead the Group's Home and Growth insurance strategies across all brands and utilise his impressive track record at ExCo level for the benefit of the business more broadly.

Craig joins the Group after spending the last ten years at Lloyds Banking Group, where he was General Insurance, Protection and Investments Director. Martin Milliner joins as Managing Director of Claims and brings extensive claims experience and expertise. He will drive the Group's ambition to build a market-leading claims function, delivering great service for customers and increasing operational efficiency.

He joins the Group from Allianz where he was Claims Director and was previously Head of Operational Claims and Director of Claimant Technical Services at LV=. Martin is an industry thought leader and strategist and has sat on the Thatcham and Insurance Fraud Bureau boards. As Chief Operating Officer Hugh Hessing will lead Customer operations, Procurement, and Transformation activity across DLG ensuring there is a strong customer focus.

Hugh has extensive experience in these areas, having been UK Chief Operating Officer and UK Customer Services Director at Aviva and CEO of Aviva Ireland. Hugh has also led major transformation initiatives that delivered significant outcomes whilst he was at Aviva and prior to that at KPMG. He has most recently been running his own consultancy business in the financial services sector.

Roger Lowry will join as Director of Corporate Affairs to strengthen the Group's external and internal communications. Roger was most recently Director of Communications and Marketing at QBE Insurance. He brings a wealth of financial services and regulatory experience having also held senior positions at Royal Bank of Scotland and Ofcom.

Alexandra Hayes (Alex) will take up the post of Chief of Staff to the CEO supporting him across the Group's strategic priorities and deliverables. Alex joins from Lloyd's where she has been Chief of Staff to the CEO. She has extensive experience of driving results across a range of financial services companies in various roles, along with multiple leadership roles on operations as a Royal Engineers Officer in the British Army.