3 March 2025 – Johannesburg, South Africa – Innovation Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Ross Simmonds as its new Managing Director, effective 3 March 2025. Ross brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in the financial and insurance industries, reinforcing the company’s commitment to innovation, growth, and excellence.
With close to 30 years’ experience, Ross has successfully led strategic initiatives, driven operational efficiencies, and spearheaded transformative projects. Ross is a qualified CA(SA) and Mechanical Engineer. Prior to joining Innovation Group, he served as the Managing Director for Unigro Financial Services.
Speaking on his new appointment, Simmonds said, “I am honoured to join Innovation Group and look forward to leading the company into its next phase of growth and success. Together with our talented team, we will continue to push the boundaries of innovation and deliver exceptional value to our clients and stakeholders.”
Jannes van Aswegen, Human Resources Executive, added, “We are delighted to welcome Ross to the Innovation Group family. His expertise and vision align perfectly with our company’s mission, and we are confident that he will drive us toward greater achievements.”
Under Ross’s leadership, Innovation Group aims to further strengthen its market position and drive sustainable growth.
Innovation Group also extends its sincere gratitude to Marcel de Klerk, who has led the company with dedication and vision over the past six years. Under his leadership, the company has achieved significant milestones, driven successful business growth and delivered strong financial performance. Marcel will continue to support the company, in a consultatory capacity, until the end of 2025.
Marcel de Klerk said, “It has been a privilege to serve as Managing Director of Innovation Group. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and confident that the company will continue to thrive under Ross’s leadership. I want to express my heartfelt thanks to each member of Innovation Group for their partnership and dedication over the years. Our collective efforts have created a remarkable story of success, and I am excited to see how Innovation Group continues to thrive in the years ahead.”
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Chicago, IL and Schaumburg, Illinois – April 24, 2024 — Innovation Group North America (“IG”), a leading provider of cutting-edge technology solutions for insurers, fleet companies and automotive manufacturers, has announced an exciting collaboration with Crash Champions, one of the largest founder-led providers of high-quality collision repair service in the U.S, and the nation’s premier collision repair company.
The alliance between Innovation Group’s advanced technology and Crash Champions’ operational expertise will drive significant advancements in the industry, while further enhancing processes, turnaround times, and the exceptional service customers have come to know from Crash Champions.
“Innovation Group welcomes Crash Champions to our network,” said Pete Douglas, CEO of Innovation Group North America. “Their commitment to quality, to service and their impressive location footprint support IG’s strategy to build the very best outsourced accident management solution in the country.”
Renowned for its dynamic technological platforms and robust operational support infrastructure, Innovation Group North America spearheads innovation in enhancing efficiency and efficacy within insurance and automotive sectors. Their unwavering pursuit of excellence and commitment to pushing the boundaries of technological advancement align strongly with Crash Champions’ vision to be the collision repair provider of choice for customers.
“We are pleased to partner with Innovation Group,” said Rachel Hutfless, Chief Client Officer, Crash Champions. “As we move forward together, I have no doubt that our collaboration will elevate the collision repair experience of our customers and set new industry standards benefiting everyone walking into one of our more than 630 locations around the country.”
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About Innovation Group
Innovation Group provides digital and easy-to-use cloud-based claims management software to the insurance and fleet industry combined with a combined services organisation offering BPO and Network Management services in the USA, UK, Germany, Spain, Australia, and South Africa. Innovation Group connects more than 1,200 global clients in the insurance space with an ecosystem of thousands of integrated regional network repairers and suppliers.
About Crash Champions
Crash Champions is one of the largest founder-led multi-shop operators (MSO) of high-quality collision repair service in the U.S., serving customers and business partners at more than 630 state-of-the-art repair centers in 37 states across the U.S. The company was founded in 1999 as a single Chicago repair center by industry veteran Matt Ebert, a 2023 Winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Midwest Award. For more information, and to locate a local repair center, visit www.crashchampions.com.
Media Contacts:
Innovation Group North America: Press@innovation.group
Crash Champions: Gaffney Bennett PR, Crash@GBPR.com
Sandton, Johannesburg – July 24, 2023 – Innovation Group (Pty) Ltd, announces the release of its new digital Mobility service, Hoot.
Hoot offers an easy-to-use online platform that provides customers with an accessible way to purchase a service plan. Through the platform, customers can decide how much they want to pay and lock in a policy that works for them. After successful purchase of a service plan policy, Hoot’s full self-service functionality allows customers to manage their policy – from debit order date changes right through to logging a claim – all at the click of a button.
“This is an important step for us as a business as we continue our focus on transforming the customer journey and putting our customers first in everything we do. The release of Hoot is a significant milestone in driving our digital mobility service solution and expanding our offering to market,” said Marcel de Klerk, Managing Director of Innovation Group (Pty) Ltd.
Imraan Rassool, GM: Strategic Growth and Innovation of Innovation Group (Pty) Ltd added: “Hoot offers customers, and potential customers, a central location through which to select and sign-up for service plans as well as manage future aspects related to their policies. The aim is to simplify the sign-up or purchase process and giving customers greater freedom and flexibility to choose the right cover for their needs.”
To find out more about Hoot, go to www.hootcover.co.za
Sandton, Johannesburg – April 3, 2023 – Innovation Group (Pty) Ltd, today announced the appointment of Cornel Storm as Executive Technology.
With over 20 years’ experience in information technology, Cornel is a seasoned professional with a strong background in IT business, strategy, and structure along with the management of business and software solution domains to clients. Cornel holds BSC Mathematical Science and BSC Hons. Information Technology degrees from the University of Johannesburg.
Commenting on his appointment, Marcel de Klerk, Managing Director of Innovation Group (Pty) Ltd, said: “We are excited to welcome Cornel to the Innovation Group South Africa team. His extensive experience in information technology will help strengthen our core technology development efforts whilst driving our overall technology strategy.”
Cornel added: “I am excited to join Innovation Group and taking on the responsibility of driving sustainable technology solutions for the group. I look forward to engaging with our internal, external, and global stakeholders alike as we move forward with the implementation of our technology strategy.”
London, 12 January 2023 – Further to the announcement in October 2022, Innovation Group is pleased to confirm that its acquisition by Allianz X has now completed.
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Thirty kind-hearted volunteers have joined forces to complete their very own DIY SOS project at a Brownhills home for children with complex needs.
Loss adjusters from leading insurer Aviva swapped their day jobs for paint brushes, trowels and shovels as they pitched in to help drainage, geotechnical and subsidence specialists from Innovation Group plc to transform an outside space at one of Progress Care’s ten homes.
It is the first time the two specialists in the insurance world have come together on a challenge and in just six hours they successfully managed to fix block paving, build planters and raised beds, improve wheelchair access and install a number of sensory boards and new swings.
The biggest task of the day was also completed in style, with over 200 wheelbarrows of soil removed to create a new, safer ground floor home for the trampoline.
More than 180 hours of time went into the garden makeover, which will now allow the eight children who live in the home to enjoy a great outdoor space and lots of fun activities that will stimulate their senses.
Claire Rogers, Managing Director of Progress Care, is keen to see the future impact of the project: “Austerity and funding cuts have caused our sector a lot of issues and we are always looking to partner with kind-hearted businesses that can help us deliver the best possible facilities and living experiences for the children we look after.
“All of them have complex needs and physical disabilities and the garden is such an important place for them to relax, play and, in some cases, learn. The outside space at our Brownhills home needed some ‘TLC’, so we were delighted when a chance conversation with Aviva employees turned into this fantastic DIY SOS.”
She went on to add: “I can’t believe the difference and how quickly it was achieved with the volunteers all working together to bring the garden to life. Our children are already enjoying spending more time outside, as this has become so important after we spent a lot of the last two years isolating due to Covid-19.”
Aviva, a leading general insurer in the UK, is committed to supporting the local communities it operates in and offers all employees up to three ‘volunteering days’ every year.
When the project at Progress Care was raised, a team of seventeen loss adjustors put themselves forward, travelling the length and breadth of the country to take part.
Due to the complex nature of the DIY SOS challenge, the company reached out to Innovation Group, one of its leading supply chain specialists, to help it with drainage, block paving and subsidence work in the garden.
Tanya Bellamy, Commercial Field and Major Loss Leader at Aviva, commented: “The response to the Progress Care project was fantastic, with many of our volunteers travelling hundreds of miles to take part.
“They really threw themselves into it, working closely with the more experienced Innovation Group staff to paint, dig, plant and repair. It’s a bit different to their day job but judging by all the smiles during the day and the reaction we saw from the children, it was six hours well spent.”
Tony Kilgannon, Regional Manager Northern Division at Innovation Group, added his support: “As soon as I visited the home and met some of the children we’d be helping, I had an emotional attachment to making the outside space as good as it could be, the same attachment that I know the rest of our staff had during the day.
“Working with our good friends at Aviva, we have created a sensory garden in just six hours, making it an accessible, safe and fun space with lots of things to do, whether that is trampolining, playing on the swings, enjoying the 3D spinner or touching the different textures of the flowers we’ve put in.
“The children have very challenging lives, so this project was all about giving them something to smile about and a place where they can experience new things.”
Progress has evolved from offering a small residential and fostering service in 2000 into one of the leading independent providers of specialist social care services in the Midlands.
The company, which employs over 220 people, is committed to preventing family breakdowns by increasing resilience and reducing dependency, by blending a range of community-based services designed to support semi-independent and independent living.
This includes creating ten ‘home from home’ residential properties in Brownhills, Coventry, Derby, Rowley Regis, Walsall, Wednesbury and Wolverhampton.
Claire concluded: “A big thank you to Aviva and Innovation Group for what they have given the children.
“Employees from the two businesses have already agreed to help us with more challenges on our properties and we’d also appeal to other companies – looking for ‘feel good’ transformational projects for their staff – to come and talk to us.”
For further information, please visit www.progresscare.co.uk
Every Little Bit Extra Helps (ELBEH) is a campaign to support foodbanks lead by Carpenters Group, S&G Response, Innovation Group, Morelli Group and Onyx PDA supporting The Trussell Trust.
After launching the ELBEH initiative in November 2021, there are an incredible number of businesses who have committed to supporting this initiative from all sectors of the motor and insurance industry.
Friday 17 December 2021 is ‘Donation Day’ for industry foodbank contributions.
In the UK, more than 14 million people are living in poverty including 4.5 million children. This ELBEH campaign wants to help and support foodbanks so they are as fully stocked as possible for Christmas.
Donations have and can been be made online via the Just Giving page EveryLittleBitExtraHelps
Anyone and everyone can also donate food and goods to their local Trussell Trust foodbanks should they want to.
In addition to the donation day, the ELBEH initiative is also holding a ‘Wear anything Christmassey to work (or home) day’ on the 10 December 2021. We are asking as many people as possible to wear Christmas hats, headbands and/or jumpers for the day and make a donation of £1 to take part.
We have had lots of wonderful businesses commit to take part. Support so far has been pledged by the following businesses:
Andrew Lucia, Chief Operating Officer, Prosure Solutions “ We are proud to support such a great cause which will hopefully get some people back on their feet when it is most needed. Please keep up the fantastic work”
Richard Steer, “The Steer Group are delighted to support the Every Little Bit Extra Helps campaign. It is great to see so many organisations from across the insurance sector coming together to provide much needed support at this time of year”
Mark Leeming, LKQ, “It was heart-warming to read of the #ELBEH initiative launched last week and LKQ wanted to get involved to support our industry colleagues. We look forward to working with our colleagues to do some good this Christmas”
“We’re very honoured to be able to support such a worthy cause; one which we know will make a real difference to people’s lives over the festive period.” Tom Noble, UK Market Manager, Sherwin Williams.
Richard Ketley, Head of Network, Innovation Group, “When I learned about the #ELBEH campaign I was immediately onboard. It just really resonated with me, and I have been delighted to play a part.”
A group of five companies working in various divisions within the insurance industry are joining forces this Christmas to raise awareness and provide support for local foodbanks across the UK.
The group consists of industry leaders from across the sector, Donna Scully from leading providers of insurance and legal services Carpenters Group, Kate Goodwin from the global insuretech business Innovation Group, Ruth Moring-Beale from independent distributor company Morelli Group, Dan Chesney from the industry leading marketing agency Onyx PDA and Andy Whatmough from automotive solutions providers S&G Response.
Donna Scully said “In the run up to Christmas we know demand for food will escalate and people face the impossible decision of whether to heat or eat. A decision nobody should have to make. We hope, as a group, we can make a difference and if you want to get involved, please contact us. The more who help, the more we can help”.
In the UK, more than 14 million people are living in poverty, this includes 4.5 million children. The group want to ensure that foodbanks are stocked full this Christmas ready to support local communities and families in need.
Kate Goodwin said “This is an initiative forged through friendships made via our wonderful industry, but one that recognises that we speak from a fortunate position in comparison to so many other people within our local communities.
We would LOVE for others in the industry to join us to help support the thousands of people that will need the help of a foodbank over the next weeks and months. A couple of bags of food, to a full blown collection of goods – every single donation will help someone, somewhere. In turn, we can support efforts by collecting and delivering goods, a service kindly offered by the Morelli Group”.
Supporting The Trussell Trust, the name of their campaign is Every Little ‘Bit Extra’ Helps, and they are asking for businesses and individuals from across the insurance sector to come together in the build-up for their ‘donations day’ on Friday 17th December and deliver their contributions to their local foodbanks.
Dan Chesney, Managing Director of OnyxPDA said “We’re so thrilled to be involved with this wonderful campaign. When life is so busy, particularly at Christmas it’s really easy to get lost in it all and forget what matters most, helping those in our communities. That’s why we want to not only raise awareness of the amazing work The Trussell Trust do, but also support the foodbanks that provide for so many within our communities not only during the winter, but all year-round.”
Those getting involved can share photos of donations to one of the group members or on social media with the hashtag #ELBEH.
Innovation Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Malcolm Noyle as Key Account Manager.
With over 30 years’ experience in the Fleet and Insurance industry, Malcolm is a seasoned professional with a strong background in project management, strategy execution and business development. He has held senior roles at General Motors, Fleet Partners, and car sharing and mobility with Car2Go. His most recent role was City Manager at Smove Systems.
Malcolm will be working closely with the Innovation Group sales team to strengthen relationships within our key clients as well as developing strategies to on-board new clients and partnerships.
Commenting on his appointment, Drew Schnehage, Managing Director of Innovation Group Australia, said: “We are delighted to welcome Malcolm to our team. With his extensive industry experience, Malcom already has a good understanding of our clients’ requirements and will play a key role in ensuring we continue to understand and satisfy our clients’ needs.”
Malcolm added: “I am excited to be joining Innovation Group and look forward to building on the strong relationships that they already have and working with their clients to deliver great success and outcomes”
Innovation Group is pleased to announce its continued partnership with Tourism Holdings Limited (THL) following a successful 10-year relationship.
Innovation Group, a leading provider of accident claims management, will continue to exclusively provide end-to-end claims services to THL’s fleet of holiday rental vehicles.
THL General Manager, Kate Meldrum, said: “We are delighted to be continuing our longstanding relationship with Innovation Group. As the claims handler for THL, we rely on Innovation Group to help manage our vehicle repairs and ensure our rental operation runs smoothly across Australia. Drew and her team operate an outstanding service and we sincerely appreciate their support.”
Drew Schnehage, Managing Director at Innovation Group says, “At Innovation Group, we strive to deliver cost savings, additional efficiencies and exceptional service to our clients and our continued partnership with THL is a resounding endorsement of our claims capabilities. We are thrilled to have been a successful part of THL for the last decade, and we look forward to growing our relationship for many years to come.”
