The Insurance Fraud Bureau announces new Chair

RSA’s UK & International Chief Claims Officer, Karl Helgesen, has been appointed as the new Chair of the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB).

Helgesen replaces Aviva’s Rob Townend with immediate effect and will work alongside the IFB Board to support the delivery of the Bureau’s future strategy and provide strategic oversight of the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) and the Insurance Fraud Register (IFR).

Helgesen has over 20 years of industry experience and joined RSA from Zurich in 2017.

Commenting on his appointment, Helgesen said:

“The insurance industry continues to be a target for career fraudsters and insurance fraud is not a victimless crime. As a sector we have a social responsibility to do all that we can to stamp down on those committing fraud and protect honest policyholders.

“The IFB, IFED and IFR continue to spearhead our industry’s collective response, and I look forward to supporting an ambitious counter-fraud vision moving forward. With the IFB launching its Insurance Fraud Intelligence Hub and with IFED as a dedicated police unit focused specifically on insurance fraud, we have never been in a stronger position as a sector with the tools to detect and disrupt fraud.

“The challenge moving forward is keeping pace with societal change, staying one step ahead of the fraudsters, and ensuring that we remain agile enough to respond to an ever-changing landscape. Our objective is to continue to deliver the results that as an industry we can collectively be proud of.”

In 2020, the IFB will publish the latest iteration of the insurance industry’s Strategic Threat Assessment, which is designed to identify the emerging fraud threats facing the industry.