DirectAsia and Budget Direct Insurance name chief growth officer

DirectAsia Insurance and Budget Direct Insurance have appointed Ronnie Brown (pictured) as chief growth officer, according to a LinkedIn update by Brown.

The move follows the coming together of DirectAsia Insurance and Budget Direct Insurance in Singapore under the ownership of Auto & General Services – Southeast Asia. In his new role, Brown will be responsible for driving growth across both brands, returning to a core focus on marketing, sales and distribution.

Brown was most recently Singapore general manager at DirectAsia Insurance from 2024 to 2025, where he ran the Singapore business and was responsible for strategy and performance, covering sales, marketing, distribution, customer service and claims.

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From 2023 to 2025 he also served as group chief technology officer, leading a 12-strong technology team supporting the business in Singapore and Thailand. In that role, he was tasked with creating an IT strategy aligned with the company’s business goals and financial targets, including building a scalable, reliable and secure architecture and driving customer-centric product development through cross-functional collaboration.

Brown first joined DirectAsia Insurance in 2015 as chief digital officer, a board-level role he held for just over four years. He was responsible for the development and delivery of the digital strategy, overseeing the digital customer journey and online sales, including distribution via partners and aggregators in Singapore and Thailand. He also acted as a key liaison with regulators on digital issues, and worked closely with the wider fintech and insurtech ecosystem.

He rejoined the company in 2020 as chief marketing and distribution officer, holding P&L responsibility for sales, marketing, agency and partnerships in Singapore. His remit spanned the contact centre, field sales, a multi-disciplinary marketing team, and agency and partnership departments across various distribution channels and models. He also led brand positioning, development and metrics, as well as new product and proposition development.

Outside DirectAsia, Brown founded RPB Consulting in 2020, a consultancy which specialised in marketing and digital strategy. The firm focused on helping clients leverage technology and cultural change across marketing and sales, including data use, journey optimisation, automation and capability building.

Earlier in his career, Brown held roles at Hiscox, Quirk (Mirum), Outside Line (Saatchi & Saatchi), Reed Exhibitions and EMI Records, giving him a broad perspective across digital, marketing and sales functions in multiple industries.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out for more information. 

The appointment follows a series of senior growth-focused hires in the region. In May last year, Stagwell onboarded OMD China CEO Connie Chan as its chief growth officer for Asia Pacific, effective July 2025.

Based in Singapore, Chan will lead Stagwell’s growth strategy and operations across markets including Australia, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, with a focus on accelerating transformation, scaling integrated capabilities and deepening local market relationships.

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