iExtend hires marketing head

New market entrant iExtend has appointed Katherine Saivanidis as head of marketing.

Saivanidis will spearhead and coordinate brand awareness and educate advisers and insurers about the firm's life product.

She brings more than a decade's experience in specialist insurance marketing to the role.

Saivanidis most recently worked at Zurich Insurance, where she set up the customer stream of marketing, aligning the activity of both the Zurich and OnePath brands.

Before that, Saivanidis spent six years at ANZ as the marketing leader of retail insurance.

She has also worked at TAL Australia, where she filled several roles in marketing, digital, corporate communications and brand.

Saivanidis's appointment caps off a busy four months for iExtend, which launched in March. The firm effectively extends the life of a life insurance policy by taking co-ownership and paying ongoing premiums on the cover that the policyholder wants to cancel or reduce.

iExtend chief David Sarkis said the appointment reflects the firm's commitment to delivering a new and timely offer that may create a positive outcome.

"The vision for iExtend is to help Australians who have determined to cancel or reduce their life insurance retain an interest on the co-owned portion at no cost," he added.

"Our approach is to do this in collaboration with the policyholder, the adviser, who helped them navigate the tough choices and the insurer, who agreed always to be there no matter what happens."