RSA general counsel Derek Walsh is leaving the insurance giant after five years at the group. He will be replaced by head of group legal Charlotte Heiss.

Walsh joined RSA in July 2010 and was responsible for the global legal, company secretarial and compliance teams.

In 2014 he took on the additional executive responsibility of global broker relationship director.

In that role he oversaw RSA's relationships with insurance brokers such as Marsh, Aon, Willis and Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group, which generate roughly 20% of group revenue.

Prior to his move into the insurance market, Walsh held positions at legacy Pinsent Curtis, legacy McKenna & Co and Norton Rose Fulbright. He is expected to leave the company at the end of February and does not currently have another role lined up.

Heiss will now become RSA's chief legal officer and company secretary.

Heiss, who was previously a managing associate in Linklaters' corporate team before joining RSA in 2010, will now kick off the organisation's postponed panel review some time this quarter.

In 2014 RSA decided to delay its global legal panel review.

The FTSE 100 company previously appointed Linklaters and Norton Rose to its line-up for the first time in spring 2011 alongside existing panel advisers Allen & Overy, Slaughter and May and Ashurst.

The firms were initially selected to advise on large corporate and commercial matters for a three-year term.