RSA chief digital officer Ian Hood resigns after only two months in new role

Hood has decided to leave insurance sector altogether, according to RSA

Ian Hood has resigned as chief digital officer of insurance company RSA just two months after being the first ever person to fill the newly created role.

Hood's remit was to establish a digital strategy within the international insurance group's operations, but he has now left to pursue his career in another industry, he says.

"After 20 years of working in insurance, Ian has decided that the time is right to pursue opportunities outside of the sector and has left RSA to take up a fantastic new role in another industry," an RSA spokesperson told Computing's sister publication Insurance Age.

"We would like to thank Ian for the significant contribution he has made to the business over the past six years and wish him well for the future," she added.

In the wake of Hood's resignation, RSA CIO Darren Price is managing the responsibilities of the CDO role. "Responsibility for delivering the global digital strategy, which forms part of the overall IT transformation plan, is currently being managed by Darren Price, RSA's CIO, and his senior IT leadership team," said the RSA spokesperson.

Speaking to Computing in January, Hood described how he was appointed as RSA's first CDO to "support cost reductions and speed improvements".

He said his team tool "an agile approach" to its work. "We all get together to talk about what we did yesterday, and what we'll do today and tomorrow to make sure we're all aligned."

Hood also told Computing how he was attempting to recruit and maintain talent for his team.

"You have to work hard to attract and retain digital resources. It's about the agenda you're driving and also your approach, it's not always just about cash with these guys. They want to be playing with the right technology, and be able to innovate," he said.

"You have to offer and great vision and career path," Hood continued. "And also the right culture and environment. These people may have come from digital agencies, or retailers, so they expect a friendly, informal culture to fit into," he added.