RSA head of UK and Western Europe quits

LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) - The head of British insurer RSA's UK and Western Europe business has resigned ahead of a strategic shakeup, to take a new role at broker AJ Gallagher.

In a statement on Wednesday, RSA said Adrian Brown, who has worked at the group for 25 years has resigned from the board but will stay in his executive role until a successor is appointed.

He leaves to take up a new role as Executive Chairman of Underwriting and Distribution at AJ Gallagher

RSA is in the middle of a group-wide turnaround after a troubled 2013 marked by accounting irregularities at one of its divisions and high levels of claims driven by extreme weather in key markets.

"For RSA it provides the opportunity to appoint new leadership in this key part of our business. We have an ambitious business plan which now needs to be driven over a time horizon that Adrian could not reasonably commit to," RSA Chief Executive Stephen Hester said.

(Reporting by Chris Vellacott)