ACE makes new regional appointments
ACE Group has appointed Ms Jeslyn Tan as Regional Head of Agency for Asia Pacific, a newly created role where she will spearhead the development of a systematic approach to business development within the agency channel based on sound portfolio management fundamentals. She will be based in Thailand and will report to Mr Juan Luis Ortega, Regional President, Asia Pacific.
Mr Shaun Oliver has been appointed the Head of Casualty (Energy and Construction), Asia Pacific, where he will be responsible for enhancing the product offerings and growing the portfolio in target industry segments. He will report to Mr Adam Clifford, Regional Head of Casualty for ACE in Asia Pacific.
Meanwhile, in relation to Mr Oliver’s focus in the region, there were also three new appointments for ACE’s casualty business in Australia. Mr Stuart Kerr has been named Casualty Manager – Australia; Mr Trent Jeuring is the new Casualty Underwriting Manager, Western Australia while Mr Matthew O’Brien has been appointed as Casualty Underwriting Manager, Victoria/Tasmania.
Lloyd’s announces new appointments for Asia
Lloyd’s has announced the appointment of Mr Jin-Yung Sun as its new General Representative in South Korea.
Mr Sun is a veteran in the (re)insurance industry, with 35 years of experience as both an underwriter and a Lloyd’s broker. As Lloyd’s General Representative based in South Korea, he will be representing Lloyd’s in discussions with local regulators, assisting Lloyd’s with its understanding of the South Korean market, and building relationships for Lloyd’s in the region.
Meanwhile, Mr Christopher Rummery has been recruited to fill the newly-created role of Senior Market Development Manager in Singapore, where he will be responsible for the development of Lloyd’s broker network in Asia Pacific, as well as liaise with Lloyd’s managing agents and service companies in London and Asia on developments in the region.
Asia: Towers Watson has new hire
Leading global professional services company Towers Watson has appointed Mr Sam Farrimond as Asia Pacific Deputy Leader of the Insurance Management Consultancy (IMC) Practice.
In his new role based in Singapore, Mr Farrimond will support Mr Keith Brooks, Asia Pacific Regional Director and Leader of IMC Practice, by providing advisory services to insurers in the areas of strategy design, distribution and operations.
Ironshore names key appointment for Asia Pacific
Ironshore International recently named Ms Hui Yun Boo as Managing Director Asia/Pacific and Principal Officer in Singapore. She assumed the role last month and will be responsible for overseeing business growth and product development of Ironshore specialty lines in the Asia/Pacific region that spans offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney.
Ms Boo will report to Mr Mark Wheeler, Chief Executive Officer of Ironshore International.
Asia: Generali recruits regional head for marine business
Generali Global Corporate & Commercial (GC&C) has appointed Mr Alvin Chan as Head of Marine, Asia, further expanding its management team.
He will be based in Hong Kong where he will focus on developing the marine portfolio which GC&C regards as an important strategic area in its business.
MetLife taps ex-Aon Malaysia chief for Asia role
Mr Bharat Kannan has been appointed as MetLife’s Head of Employee Benefits for the Asia region. He will also become a member of MetLife’s Asia Leadership Group and its Global Employee Benefits Leadership Team.
Based out of Tokyo, Japan, Mr Kannan will report to Mr Christopher Townsend, President of Asia for MetLife. In this role, he will be responsible for executing strategy, accelerating growth and continuing to build out MetLife’s employee benefits capabilities across the region. Mr Kannan will also be supporting key relationships with clients and brokers and focus on expanding MetLife’s relationships with multinational businesses headquartered in Asia and outside the region.
Asia: XL Group announces new heads for Singapore and Japan operations
Mr Andrew Vigar, who was country manager for XL Group in Singapore, has been transferred to Tokyo to assume the role of country manager for Japan.
His successor is Mr Robin Johnson who will be responsible for continuing to drive the growth of the group’s reinsurance business in the region. Mr Johnson joins the company from AIG Singapore where he was most recently in charge of broker and client management in Asia.
Asia: Zurich Insurance’s regional chief to retire
Mr Geoff Riddell will be retiring from his position as Regional Chairman of Asia Pacific & Middle East at Zurich, putting an end to his 15-year career with the insurer. Meanwhile, Ms Cecilia Reyes, currently CIO at Zurich, will take over Mr Riddell’s responsibilities when he steps down from his position at the end of this month, while continuing to oversee Zurich’s investment portfolios.
Mr Riddell moved to Asia in 2009 to take the role of CEO for Asia and the Middle East, where he oversaw the development of the life and general insurance franchises. He was promoted the following year to the then-newly created role of Regional Chairman of Asia Pacific & Middle East, which he has occupied since.
ACR makes two key appointments
ACR Capital Holdings Pte Ltd has appointed Mr Sergei Korol as Group Chief Financial Officer.
Effective last month, Mr Korol took over the role from Mr Tan Chong Liong, who will fully focus on expanding the company’s business in North Asia in his position as Chief Operating Officer, North Asia, at Asia Capital Re, ACR’s wholly-owned reinsurance operating subsidiary.
Australia: New senior appointments at APRA
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has made a number of changes to its senior executive team.
Mr Steve Matthews has been appointed Executive General Manager, Corporate Services. He will be responsible for overseeing the efficient and effective management of APRA’s corporate support functions, including governance, public affairs, human resources, information technology, and finance.
APRA also announced changes to the responsibilities of its four current Executive General Managers.
Mr Brandon Khoo will replace Mr Keith Chapman as Executive General Manager, Diversified Institutions, and Mr Chapman will replace Mr Khoo as Executive General Manager, Specialised Institutions. These changes will take effect from 1 April 2015.
In addition, Mr Charles Littrell will take on the role of Executive General Manager, Supervisory Support, whilst Ms Sarah Goodman will become Executive General Manager, Policy & Advice. These changes will take effect from 1 July 2015.
Australia: New appointments in Actuaries Institute
Actuaries Institute has announced a series of new appointments to its leadership team. Ms Estelle Pearson has been appointed President for 2015.
Meanwhile, Mr David Bell has been appointed as CEO, along with Ms Lindsay Smartt, as Senior Vice President, and Ms Jenny Lyon wiil be Vice President. Based on the Institute’s annual rotation of senior positions, Ms Smartt is also slated to take over as President in 2016.
Malaysia: Avicennia unveils new senior appointments
Avicennia Capital Sdn Bhd, which is the holding insurance company for Khazanah Nasional, has recently appointed Mr Kenneth Wong as its Chief Risk Officer and Chief Actuary. He will be in charge of group-wide risk management and supervision, as well as oversee audit for Avicennia Capital and its subsidiary companies.
Meanwhile, Ms Angela Tan has been named Chief Financial Officer. Ms Tan will be responsible for corporate finance, treasury and financial planning, and will report directly to Group CEO and Executive Director Alexander Ankel.
Singapore: Great American Insurance to set up branch
Great American Insurance Group has appointed local and Asian insurance veteran Mr Chee Keng Koon to head its Singapore Branch operations.
He will be supported by Ms Vanessa Teo, who will take on the dual roles of CFO & COO, in delivering appropriate property and casualty solutions once the Branch receives full approval from the regulator in mid-2015.
Singapore: HL Assurance appoints new head
HL Assurance, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Leong Financial Group, has appointed Mr Kelvin Lim Choong Kiat to the new role of CEO.
Reporting to Ms Loh Guat Lan, Group Managing Director and CEO of HL Assurance, Mr Lim’s key responsibility and priority is to lead HL Assurance to gain its market position in the Singapore insurance industry and meet its goal of being the preferred insurer in Singapore.
Berkshire Hathaway makes key appointments in Singapore
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has revealed that Ms Malin Fredriksson and Mr Kiran Prakash will be joining its leadership team as Asia Regional Head of First Party Lines and Asia Regional Head of Engineering and Construction respectively.
Ms Frediksson joins BHSI from RSA while Mr Prakash joins BHSI from Swiss Reinsurance Company.
Meanwhile, Ms Min Ong will also be joining the company as its Asia Regional Head of Energy, and will be based in Singapore. Ms Ong joins BHSI from Zurich Insurance.
Global: Lloyd’s broker to enhance casualty business team
Leading independent Lloyd’s broker, LONMAR Global Risks has announced the appointment of Mr Alastair Johnstone as Divisional Director in its Non-Marine division.
Reporting to Mr David Pexton, Managing Director of LONMAR’s Non-Marine division, Mr Johnstone will be working to develop new Casualty business sources and to service clients within LONMAR’s existing book.
Global: Starr Companies announces new senior appointment
Starr Companies has appointed Mr Jeffrey Herman to join the organisation as its Global Head of Accident and Health.
Reporting to Mr Chuck Dangelo, President and CEO of Starr Indemnity & Liability Company, Mr Herman joins as Starr continues its expansion as a leading provider of insurance coverage for blanket accident and specialty risks, group and individual AD&D, and travel accident exposures.
Global: SCOR names new senior executives
SCOR has recently made several appointments within its central Group functions, as well as at SCOR Global P&C.
Ms Cécile Boyer joins SCOR as Group General Counsel, within the framework of the General Secretariat run by Mr Romain Launay. She succeeds Mr Vincent Malige, who was appointed General Counsel Asia-Pacific, based in Singapore.
At SCOR Global P&C, Mr Umberto Gavazzi will be appointed Chief Underwriting Officer for Worldwide Treaty P&C Operations, while Mr Ranald Munro will join the company as Chief Commercial Counsel. Both of them will report to CEO Victor Peignet.Meanwhile, Mr Laurent Rousseau will succeed Mr Gavazzi as Chief Underwriting Officer, EMEA Treaty P&C Operations from 1 July.
Global: Milliman elects new Chairman for its board
Milliman’s board of directors has elected Mr Kenneth P Mungan as its Chairman, succeeding the late Mr Bradley M Smith who had previously announced his retirement prior to his passing.
Mr Mungan is the founder of Milliman’s Financial Risk Management practice, set up in 1998. Since then, the group has grown to become a leading provider of hedging services to the retirement savings industry, managing US$140 billion worth of assets on behalf of insurers, variable annuities, 401(k)s and retail mutual funds.
Global: Guy Carpenter recruits analytics head
Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, a leading global risk and reinsurance specialist and a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies announced the appointment of Mr Matthew Eagle as Managing Director and Head of International Analytics for Guy Carpenter.
Mr Eagle will be joining Guy Carpenter’s London office on 1 August, and will be responsible for providing thought and resource leadership across the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions, with a specific focus on developing a market-leading catastrophe modelling and analytics proposition. He will report to Mr Nick Frankland, CEO of EMEA Operations at Guy Carpenter.
Global: Deloitte Global names new CEO
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd (Deloitte Global) recently announced that Mr Punit Renjen, currently Deloitte US member firm Chairman of the Board, has been selected as Deloitte Global’s leader. He will assume the new role on 1 June 2015.
Mr Renjen succeeds Mr Barry Salzberg, who will retire from Deloitte Global at the end of May and become a full-time faculty member of Columbia Business School as a professor of professional practice.
Global: XL-Catlin unveils reinsurance leadership
The two companies whose merged entity will ultimately be the eighth largest P&C reinsurer in the world, have announced the team that will be in charge of its reinsurance operations.
Mr Greg Hendrick will be appointed Chief Executive and will oversee XL-Catlin’s reinsurance operations that will be divided into five regions. Each region will be led by a regional chief executive reporting to Mr Hendrick, as well as its respective underwriting, actuarial, claims and local operational responsibilities.
The heads of the respective regions are:
• Mr Peter Schmidt, who will become Chief Executive for Asia Pacific, Latin America and Global Credit and Surety. He is currently Catlin Re’s group chief executive for Switzerland;
• Mr David Watson, who will be Chief Executive for Europe, Middle East & Africa and International Casualty. He is the current chief executive of XL Re International;
• Mr John Welch, currently chief executive for XL Re America, will become CEO for North America;
• Mr Johnathan Gale, Catlin’s Syndicate 2003’s current group deputy active underwriter, will be the chief executive of the London unit; and
• Mr Charles Cooper, presently XL Re’s president and CUO, will take on the role of chief executive of Bermuda.
Further, Mr Matthew Paskin, presently Catlin’s underwriting director, and Mr Chris Dougherty, who is the current XL executive vice president of underwriting and ceded reinsurance, have been appointed as CUO and COO for reinsurance respectively. The two roles will span the reinsurance businesses and also report to Mr Hendrick.