Direct Line news

Direct Line Group announces jessie burrows as new claims managing director

Direct Line Group has announced Jessie Burrows, Direct Line Group’s current group financial controller, as the successor to Steve Dalloz as claims managing director.

Prior to joining Direct Line Group, Jessie previously held leadership roles at Aviva, at both the Group and in the UK general insurance business, and in the insurance practice at KPMG. Her strong financial grounding and insurance background, combined with her passion for customers made her the ideal choice.

Jessie has achieved a great deal in the two years she has been with Direct Line Group, having worked with the executive committee to reposition the Group’s business performance; plans and external financial targets; IFRS and Solvency II reporting to the market; and put in place Direct Line Group’s finance transformation programme.

Steve Dalloz will be stepping down as claims managing director to build an external portfolio career. Steve's played a key role through a significant period in our history, originally joining as director of commercial and assurance to support the transformation of the claims business and for the last two years, the role of claims managing director. Direct Line Group has achieved an incredible amount under his leadership – from market leading approaches to bodily injury and fraud to the introduction of new digital ways to manage claims.

Steve Maddock, Chief Operating Officer, Direct Line Group, said: “Following an extensive internal and external search, our group financial controller, Jessie Burrows, will be moving into the role of claims managing director to lead us into the next phase of delivering our claims strategy and priorities. Jessie is an experienced leader who I respect and I'm confident her energy and passion for our customers, alongside her strong financial grounding, will be a great fit for the roleand will help us to continue to deliver on promises to customers, supporting them with the aftermath of some of the worst possible moments of their lives.”

Jessie Burrows, commented: “The moment a customer makes a claim they understand the value of their insurance policy and our claims team and what they do for our customers is central to our business. I’m excited to be leading a team which is at the heart of everything we do and I’m looking forward to continuing our number one priority which is to make insurance easier and better value for our customers.”

Jessie will continue in her current post to deliver half year financial results on 1 August and her successor will be announced in due course.

ENDS

Notes to editor

For more information please contact:

Claire Foster
Deputy Head of News
Direct Line Group
Tel: 0165 183 1672
Mob: 07525 665 504
Email: claire.foster@directlinegroup.co.uk

Direct Line Insurance Group plc

Direct Line Group is headquartered in Bromley. Through its number of well known brands the Group offers a wide range of general insurance products to consumers. These brands include Direct Line, Churchill and Privilege. The Group also provides insurance services for third parties through its partnerships division, Direct Line Group Partnerships. In the commercial sector, the Group's NIG and Direct Line for Business operations offer insurance products for businesses distributed through brokers or direct, respectively.

Notes to editors:

  • We are the UK's only diversified insurer and we operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada. We also have international investments in India and China.
  • We help our 25.3 million customers make the most out of life, plan for the future, and have the confidence that if things go wrong we’ll be there to put it right.
  • We have been taking care of people for more than 325 years, in line with our purpose of being ‘with you today, for a better tomorrow’. In 2025, we paid £31.9 billion in claims and benefits to our customers.
  • Aviva is a Living Wage, Living Pension and Living Hours employer and provides market-leading benefits for our people, including flexible working, paid carers leave and equal parental leave. Find out more at www.aviva.com/about-us/our-people/
  • As at 30 June 2026, total Group assets under management at Aviva Group were £479 billion and our estimated Solvency II shareholder capital surplus was £6.8 billion. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE 100 index.
  • For more details on what we do, our business and how we help our customers, visit www.aviva.com/about-us
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