Asia: Vinod Krishnan joins JLT Re as CEO of Asia treaty
JLT Re has appointed Mr Vinod Krishnan as CEO, Asia treaty. Based in Singapore, Mr Krishnan will be responsible for building the treaty offering in the ASEAN nations and South Korea.
Mr Krishnan joins JLT Re from Aon Benfield where he has held a variety of roles, most recently CEO for Aon Benfield Asia. It is expected that he will join JLT Re in May 2018, when his current contractual obligations are satisfied.
Asia: Helvetia Insurance Switzerland appoints new regional CEO
Helvetia has appointed Mr Ivan Chan as the new CEO for its Asian operations. Mr Chan has a long track record in the insurance industry, which includes senior positions in Lloyd’s service companies as well as market companies. He will be a key contributor towards the development and management of insurance and reinsurance business in Asia as well as the execution of strategic initiatives to support Helvetia’s long-term ambitions in the region.
Mr Chan reports to Mr David Ribeaud, CEO of speciality markets at Helvetia Insurance based in Zurich.
Asia: RKH Specialty names new regional CEO
RKH Specialty announced the appointment of Mr Stuart Beatty as the regional CEO for Asia Pacific, a new role focused on building on the firm’s speciality capabilities in the region. He will be based in Singapore.
Mr Beatty has over 30 years’ insurance and reinsurance experience and has worked in Singapore for 10 years at Aon Benfield and JLT managing placement and servicing teams for its clients in the region.
RKH Specialty’s business in the region is currently focused on its property, power, energy, construction and financial risks’ expertise in Singapore and FP Marine, its marine specialist broker, based in Hong Kong.
Asia: Chubb appoints new bancassurance head
Chubb announced the appointment of Ms Jin Lee as the head of bancassurance for Asia Pacific. In her new role, Ms Lee’s primary responsibility will be to oversee the DBS-Chubb partnership, which spans Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia and China. She will be based in Singapore and will report to Mr Paul McNamee, regional president for Chubb in Asia Pacific.
Ms Lee is currently deputy general counsel for Asia Pacific. She joined the company in 2010 as accident and health legal counsel for Australia and New Zealand. She has over 10 years of experience practising various aspects of insurance law, including the structuring of complex distribution arrangements; advising on regulatory and compliance matters; dealing with regulators; acquisitions and mergers of insurance companies and claims adjudication.
Asia: Munich Re Syndicate announces changes in senior roles
Munich Re Syndicate has announced the appointment of three senior roles in Munich Re Syndicate Asia to drive its strategic growth initiatives in Asia.
Mr Tony Betteridge has been promoted to head of marine. Based in Singapore, his responsibilities include cargo, project cargo, hull and marine liability. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and practical experience gained from more than 40 years in the marine industry, including seafaring, risk engineering and underwriting, of which the last 20 years has been spent in the Asia Pacific region.
Mr Joel Pridmore has been appointed as head of financial lines and business development. Based in Singapore, Joel will be responsible for building the syndicate’s portfolio in financial lines. He has added responsibilities in business development for other classes in Asia. Mr Pridmore joined Munich Re in Australia in 2014 having previously held various underwriting and portfolio management roles with AIG, Liberty and Zurich across the specialised financial, investment and professional lines classes of business.
Mr William Song has been nominated as director of underwriting for Munich Re underwriting division at Lloyds Insurance Company (China) Based in Beijing. Mr Song brings with him a long and successful career spanning 25 years. He is a certified insurance professional in Australia and a fellow of ANZIIF. His most recent senior positions in China were as the head of China mainland team for Aon Benfield and assistant general manager for Kunlun Insurance Brokers.
Asia: TMK appoints new regional MD
Tokio Marine Kiln (TMK) announced the promotion of Mr Alex Dugand to regional managing director, Asia. Mr Dugand takes up the role with immediate effect and will report to TMK group chief financial officer Mr James Dover.
In this new role, Mr Dugand will oversee TMK’s Asian business, spanning the Hong Kong, Singapore and China markets. Mr Kin Lau, country head, Hong Kong and Ms Susanna Quek, country head, Singapore will report to Mr Dugand.
Mr Dugand was previously regional underwriting director for TMK’s Asia division, a role he held for the past two years. He has been with TMK for over a decade, having first joined as a reinsurance underwriter.
Asia: XL Catlin promotes regional manager for international financial lines
XL Catlin’s insurance operations announced the promotion of Mr Jason Grant to regional manager, Asia Pacific for international financial lines (IFL).
In this role, Mr Grant will lead the IFL underwriting team in Asia Pacific, including Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. He will focus on building the financial and professional risks portfolio and market presence in the Asia Pacific region. He will continue to be based in Sydney.
Mr Grant has over 25 years’ experience in the insurance industry across Asia Pacific, Europe, UK and the US. He joined XL Catlin in Australia in 2015 as Australasia manager for IFL, responsible for driving the financial lines business in Australia, as well as building the underwriting infrastructure. Before joining XL Catlin, Mr Grant worked at Liberty International Underwriters, AIG, AMP and Minet Professional Services.
Asia: Willis Towers Watson appoints head of Corporate Risk & Broking
Willis Towers Watson announced the appointment of Mr Simon Weaver as leader of corporate risk & broking (CRB) for Asia and Australasia.
In what is a newly-created, expanded role, Mr Weaver is responsible for accelerating CRB’s growth across Asia Pacific by coordinating Willis Towers Watson’s global CRB capabilities with the company’s regional and local market expertise. As a key part of this position, he will lead teams from the lines of business, sales and client management functions to win new clients, expand existing client relationships, and capitalize on opportunities to enter new industry sectors.
A veteran of Asia with over 20 years of insurance and broking experience in the region, Mr Weaver will dedicate his time between Asia and Australasia to focus on strengthening client relationships and to find new ways to enhance and strengthen CRB’s capabilities and client offering throughout Asia Pacific.
China: FWD Group appoints new MD and CEO
FWD Group announced the appointment of Mr Ken Lau as MD, Greater China, and CEO, Hong Kong & Macau.
With more than 27 years’ insurance industry experience across the region, Mr Lau will lead FWD’s Greater China business and drive the delivery of its technology-driven and customer-led strategy.
He was most recently with Union Life Insurance Co China, where he was the CEO managing both the life and general insurance businesses. During his three-year tenure, he oversaw the company’s successful expansion. Prior to Union Life, Mr Lau was with Ping An Life for more than 10 years and was appointed as President from 2012 to 2014. His roles in his earlier career cover China, Hong Kong and Taiwan for Prudential and AIA.
New Zealand: Cigna appoints new CEO
Cigna New Zealand has appointed Ms Gail Costa as its new CEO. She brings significant international leadership experience and insurance knowledge to the role, which will be of benefit to Cigna’s partners and customers. Ms Costa, who previously led Cigna’s operations in the country for 10 years, returns to Cigna New Zealand’s business at a time of significant growth for the company, which serves more than 250,000 customers.
She has served on the Cigna New Zealand Board since 2012, and returns after successful assignments in Asia and Turkey. She is currently Chief Executive of Cigna’s Joint Venture business with QNB Finansbank in Turkey, a role she took up in 2015.
Singapore: AIA unveils new CTO
AIA Singapore announced that Mr Gunawan Chiu Wu Pin has been appointed chief technology officer.
Playing an integral role in AIA Singapore’s digital transformation, he is responsible for driving and developing digital initiatives to increase overall efficiencies and productivity of the company to meet customers’ evolving needs.
Mr Chiu has extensive experience in developing and implementing IT programmes for major insurance companies at a regional scale. He was previously the chief of technology for AIA Financial Indonesia and was responsible for overseeing IT operations, digital initiatives, data protection, business continuity and strategic projects development.
HDI Global SE announces new underwriting managers in the region
HDI Global SE Australia announced the appointment of Mr David Gibbs as underwriting manager for Western Australia, based in Perth. HDI Global SE Singapore announced that Mr Sunil Rodrigues has been appointed as underwriting manager casualty and financial lines ASEAN.
Mr Gibbs brings more than 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry including specialist underwriting knowledge in property, energy and technical lines. He joins HDI from Chubb, where he worked as national property manager Australia and New Zealand.
Mr Rodrigues will be based in Singapore reporting to Mr Graham Silton, managing director, HDI Global SE Singapore. He brings more than 25 years international experience working in Asia and the Middle East in a number of senior underwriting roles.
Global: XL Catlin announces promotions and appointments in its Life, Accident and Health team
XL Catlin’s insurance operations announced several promotions and appointments to its global life, accident and health team.
Mr Simon Hearn has been promoted to head of life and wholesale accident & health in the UK. In addition to his current role as global product leader for the life class of business, he has been appointed to active underwriter of Life Syndicate 3002, following approval by the Corporation of Lloyd’s. Mr Hearn joined XL Catlin in 2009 as a class underwriter and has more than 28 years of underwriting and client management experience in the life and health sector. He will be based in London.
Mr Andrew Maynard has been appointed to the role of head of accident and health in Asia, in addition to his current role as global product leader for aviation and marine employee benefits and mobility health segments. Mr Maynard has 37 years of experience in accident and health distribution and underwriting and will relocate to Singapore at the beginning of April as part of his new role.
Mr Paul De Vido and Mr David Robotham have been promoted to senior class underwriters, accident and health for Syndicate 2003. Each has more than 15 years’ Lloyd’s experience of underwriting direct, facultative and treaty reinsurance, all of which have been with XL Catlin and predecessor organisations, ensuring continuity to clients, brokers and partners.
Global: New hire and expanded roles for Aon reinsurance team in Bermuda
Aon Benfield announced the expansion and new management structure of its Bermuda team to optimise the increasing opportunities for clients and markets to deploy capital and expertise on the island.
Mr Matthias Meyenhofer will join the firm on 1 September, in accordance with his existing contractual requirements, as CEO of Aon Benfield Bermuda, subject to Bermuda Immigration approval. Mr Meyenhofer joins from Guy Carpenter where he was head of EMEA Global Clients, having previously held the position of CEO at ACE Tempest Re Europe, as well as other senior positions within the industry.
In addition, Mr Tony Fox, currently chairman of Aon Benfield Global ReSpecialty Bermuda, will move up to the role of chairman of Aon Benfield Bermuda, subject to Bermuda Immigration approval.
Mr Jonathan Davies, a member of the Aon Benfield Global ReSpecialty executive in London, has relocated to the island as of 1 April to become Head of Aon Benfield Global ReSpecialty Bermuda.
Global: SCOR Global P&C unveils new Deputy CEO and Executive Committee member
SCOR has announced that Mr Laurent Rousseau will become deputy CEO of SCOR Global P&C and will join the Group’s Executive Committee. In his new role, he will also become chief underwriting officer for Specialty Lines and Business Solutions.
Mr Rousseau, who currently serves as chief underwriting officer of SCOR Global P&C’s treaty business in EMEA, has held numerous advisory, strategy, and underwriting positions since joining the Group in 2010.
He replaces Mr Benjamin Gentsch, who left SCOR as of 1 April. Mr Gentsch successfully served as CEO of SCOR Switzerland and deputy CEO of SCOR Global P&C for more than 10 years, having made substantial contributions to the progress and positive results of SCOR’s Global P&C business.
Mr Douglas Lacoss, who currently serves as chief reserving actuary at SCOR Global P&C, is promoted to chief underwriting officer for the EMEA treaty business, replacing Mr Rousseau.
Ms Ecaterina Nisipasu, who is currently head of actuarial modelling, is promoted to head of reserving, capital modelling & risk management for SCOR Global P&C, mainly replacing Mr Lacoss in his current chief reserving actuary position.
Mr Andreas Frank succeeds Mr Gentsch as CEO of SCOR Switzerland AG and SCOR Holding (Switzerland) AG. Mr Frank currently holds the roles of chief financial officer for SCOR Switzerland AG and CEO of SCOR Services Switzerland AG. A