Danica Pension is creating a new department by bringing together all its customer-facing development activities — digital, robotics, sales development and health solutions — and has poached a top manager from rival AP Pension to lead it.

Jesper Bjerre, chief operating officer at commercial labour-market pension provider AP Pension, has been hired by the Danske Bank subsidiary to take up the new role of chief development officer on 1 December.

The recruitment means a return to Danica Pension for Bjerre, who worked at the company until two years ago when he switched employer to become a member of AP Pension’s executive board.

At Danica Pension, Bjerre will report directly to chief executive Ole Krogh Petersen.

Krogh Petersen said: “We are gathering development activities because we want to continue to be one step ahead and deliver the best and most innovative solutions to our customers.”

Bjerre had experience with the areas he was now going to be responsible for, and Danica Pension knew him from his time in the company, the chief executive added.

“We are therefore sure that he, together with talented colleagues, is the right person to ensure that we continue to provide the best solutions in the market in the future, which will make our clients feel secure about their pension schemes,” Krogh Petersen said.