Howe joins from BUPA, where she was chief marketing officer. Before this Howe held a variety of home shopping marketing positions for Great Universal Stores and Grattan PLC over 12 years.
In her new role, Howe has responsibility for direct marketing, brand and customer communications, customer segmentation and product development.
Part of Fortis (Insurance UK), RIAS has a million motor, home and travel insurance customers.
RIAS has relied on traditional direct marketing channels - it sent 25m pieces of direct mail between July 2008 and June 2009, according to Marketing Direct's Top 100 Mailers 2009 survey - but Howe plans to increase the brand's use of digital marketing.
"RIAS is traditionally a direct marketing organisation with a dominance in the more traditional channels of direct mail, door-to-door and outbound calling," Howe said.
"However going forward we will be looking to extend the marketing plan to reach over-50s consumers based upon their changing preferences and purchase behaviours.
"Digital channels are fast becoming an important part of the mix in consumer purchase decisions and RIAS will capitalise on that."
The company employs over 1,100 people across two UK sites, and is one of the UK's fastest growing insurance intermediaries. RIAS negotiates with a panel of insurers to secure cover for its customers.
Janet Connor, managing director at RIAS, said Howe was joining RIAS at "a crucial time in our exciting brand journey". Howe's experience would help RIAS achieve its goal of "becoming the first choice financial services retailer for the over 50s".
lnsurance for the over-50s is a growing market as the UK population gets older. RIAS competes with Saga and Age Concern, amongst others.
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