Argus Group has beefed up its senior management in a move designed to focus more on client needs.

Wanda Richardson has been promoted to a newly created role of executive vice-president, client solutions, while Kellianne Smith has been appointed as head of global human resources and organisational development.

Argus chief executive officer Alison Hill said: “Wanda and Kellianne bring a fresh client-focused perspective to the senior management team to enable us to put the interests of Bermuda’s employers first. Our clients have told us that they want an employee benefits provider who understands the challenges they face to help them navigate Bermuda’s rapidly changing environment.

“As a result, we are restructuring our operating model by increasing our client focus to deliver solutions that clients truly value. Wanda and Kellianne’s backgrounds will help us to ensure that client insight is infused into decision making throughout the company, further enforcing the Argus Group’s mantra, Our interest is you.”

Ms Richardson joined Argus in 2007 as the Vice President of Organisational Development and has over 20 years of experience in organisational development and human resources. She has lead a wide variety of change management initiatives involving strategic planning, organisational redesign, performance benchmarking and business process engineering. She joined Argus from PricewaterhouseCoopers in Bermuda, where she held the position of organisational development lead consultant in the Human Resources Practice.

In her new role at Argus, Ms Richardson will be responsible for the implementation of holistic strategies and solutions designed to optimise the Argus client experience. She will also oversee the Bermuda sales, customer service centre and global marketing operations. Ms Richardson holds a Master’s degree in Industrial/Organisational Psychology from New York University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology/Economics from Howard University. She is a member of the Selection Committee for the Bermuda Human Rights Commission.

Talking about her appointment, Ms Richardson said: “It has been a genuine pleasure working at Argus and I am pleased to continue my journey in this newly created role. My overall aim is to infuse client insight into the high-level decision making process to not only ensure the delivery of world-class service, but also to continually improve on this from our client’s perspective.”

Ms Smith is responsible for leading the global operations of the human resources, organisational development, and administration services team in Bermuda. She also has joint reporting responsibility for the HR/OD resources in the Gibraltar and Malta offices.

Ms Smith brings more than 15 years’ experience in strategic human resource management, recruitment, employee relations/negotiations, and training and leadership development, which was primarily gained in the hospitality industry. Prior to joining Argus, she was Director of Human Resources at The Fairmont Hamilton Princess. Ms Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources and psychology from the University of North Carolina. She is a member of the Board of Immigration.

Speaking on her appointment, Ms Smith said: “It is a privilege to be working for an organisation that prides itself on delivering truly consistent, premium client services. This is a constantly evolving industry and client needs are ever changing. I have great respect for Argus and look forward to using my experience in hospitality, where service and client satisfaction are paramount, to add to the client experience.”