Asia: AIA advances date for Ng Keng Hooi’s succession to Group Chief Executive and President
AIA Group Limited has announced that following a smooth handover process,
Mr Mark Tucker is retiring from his position as Group Chief Executive and President, with Mr Ng Keng Hooi formally succeeding him from 1 June 2017, earlier than previously announced. Mr Tucker will remain as a director of AIA Group Limited, in a non-executive capacity, from then until 31 August 2017.
Mr Jacky Chan, currently CEO of AIA Hong Kong and Macau, is appointed as Regional Chief Executive responsible for AIA’s operations in Hong Kong and Macau, Singapore and Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia as well as Group Agency Distribution, effective from 1 June 2017.
Asia: Munich Re makes management changes to strengthen presence in region
Mr Joachim Wenning took over as the new Chairman of the Board of Management at Munich Re on 27 April 2017.
Mr Hermann Pohlchristoph was appointed to the Board of Management of Munich Re also with effect from 27 April 2017, responsible for Asia Pacific, Germany, Africa, and Procurement and Services. Mr Pohlchristoph has been with Munich Re since 2002, most recently as Chief Financial Officer for the Reinsurance division.
Mr Roland Eckl who is Chief Executive Asia Pacific, with responsibility for Japan, Korea, India and South East Asia since January 2017 will be based in Singapore heading Munich Re’s new Regional Centre from September onwards. He has been with the reinsurer since 1990. Most recently Mr Eckl was responsible for Munich Re’s business in Australasia/New Zealand, Japan, India and the Indian Subcontinent.
Dr Tobias Farny, Chief Executive Asia Pacific, is now responsible for Greater China and Australia/New Zealand. He previously looked after Greater China, Korea, and South East Asia.
Asia: AIG names CEO and head of Country Operations
American International Group, Inc announced that Ms Claudia Salem has been appointed CEO Singapore and Head of Country Operations, Southeast Asia, which includes Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Guam. Ms Salem will report to Mr Gaurav D. Garg, President and CEO, Personal Insurance.
Ms Salem has successfully served in several global leadership roles since joining AIG in 2003, and has a strong understanding of the Southeast Asian region. Ms Salem succeeds Mr Matt Harris, who is leaving AIG to pursue other opportunities.
Most recently, Ms Salem was Global Head of Shared Services, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Asia: PERILS unveils new leader for region
PERILS has announced the appointment of Mr Darryl Pidcock as Head of PERILS Asia-Pacific.
Based in Sydney, Mr Pidcock will focus on developing the PERILS offering in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition to the territory of Australia currently covered by PERILS, this will include the expansion of the PERILS Industry Exposure & Loss Database into other Asia-Pacific markets. He will also be involved in the NatCatDAX Project, a Singapore-based industry initiative set up to help increase data availability for natural catastrophe insurance in Asia.
Asia: Transamerica Life Bermuda appoints new Chief Commercial Officer
Transamerica Life (Bermuda) Ltd announced the appointment of Mr Mike Goodall as its regional Chief Commercial Officer.
Mr Goodall will be responsible for all Sales & Distribution, and Marketing functions across the company’s branch offices in Hong Kong and Singapore. He will report to Mr Marc Russell Lieberman, President and CEO of Transamerica Life Bermuda, and will be a member of the Transamerica Life Bermuda Management Team.
Asia: Markel International appoints new Marine underwriters
Markel International has appointed Mr Colin Fordham as a senior marine liability underwriter and Mr Gustaf Kristiansson as marine underwriter, both based in Singapore.
Mr Fordham joins from the Munich Re syndicate on the Lloyd’s Asia Platform, and brings with him more than 20 years of marine insurance experience in underwriting, claims and broking.
Reporting directly to Mr Matthew Cannock, principal officer & managing director of Markel International Singapore, Mr Fordham will focus on boosting Markel’s marine liability business in Asia further.
Mr Kristiansson joins the Singapore office from Markel International’s Sweden office where he held the same position. He brings with him more than 10 years of shipping and marine insurance experience. Also reporting to Mr Cannock, Mr Kristiansson will manage Markel’s marine hull and cargo portfolio across Asia Pacific.
Asia: Aspen Insurance announces new Senior Cargo Underwriter
Ms Ai Hoon Kwek has joined Aspen Insurance in Singapore as Senior Cargo Underwriter.
Reporting to Mr Paul Hackett, Head of Marine, Singapore, she will assist in managing and developing Aspen Insurance’s Asia Pacific and Middle East Cargo portfolio.
Ms Kwek was previously Cargo Underwriter with XL Catlin in Singapore.
Asia: Bupa Global appoints new GM
Bupa Global, the international health insurance arm of Bupa, has appointed Mr Angus Slater as GM, Bupa Global Asia Pacific (BGAPAC).
In his new role, Mr Slater will focus on establishing key broker relationships in the Asia Pacific region. He will also continue to lead growth opportunities across the business, bringing together expertise from Bupa Global, Bupa Hong Kong and Quality HealthCare, Hong Kong’s largest private clinic network.
Mr Slater had been leading the Bupa Global Greater China (BGGC) region on an interim basis since February 2017, whilst also maintaining his role of Sales and Commercial Director for Bupa Hong Kong. Prior to this, he was Marketing Director for Bupa Global based in London.
Asia: Willis Towers Watson makes new hires to deepen presence in region
Willis Towers Watson has announced the appointment of Mr James Leung as Regional Director, Business Development and Proposition, Health and Benefits, Asia and Australasia.
Mr Leung joins with more than 20 years’ of experience in the health and benefits sector in which he specialises in health risk management, corporate wellness and employee benefits insurance placement.
Mr Matt Houghton has been appointed as Senior Consultant of Strategy in its insurance consulting and software business in Asia Pacific.
In this newly created role, Mr Houghton’s focus is to provide consulting to the insurance industry regarding strategic development, distribution and M&A.
Australia: Allianz announces new MD
Allianz Australia has announced Mr Richard Feledy as its new MD, to be effective 1 Jan 2018, following the pending departure of Mr Niran Peiris.
Mr Feledy is currently Chief Technical Officer at Allianz Australia, and will move into a newly created Deputy MD role before starting as MD.
Australia: QBE names new CRO
QBE Australia and New Zealand has appointed Mr Mark Baxter as chief risk officer.
Mr Baxter has recently returned from the UK where he was Prudential’s chief risk officer for the UK and Europe and an executive committee member.
He replaces Ms Anna Gould, who takes on the new position of head of Claims Technical and Governance for QBE Australia and New Zealand.
Australia: Aon announces changes in its Commercial and Broking businesses
Aon Risk Solutions has appointed Mr James Baum as Managing Director of Commercial and Chairman of Aon Broking, which takes effect immediately.
As Chairman of Aon Broking, Mr Baum will have strategic oversight of Aon’s broking function, including the business’ go to market strategy and relationships with insurers.
Taking on the Commercial role, Mr Baum replaces Mr Ian McLellan, who previously led the Commercial business.
Australia: BMS hires new CEO
BMS Group Limited has named Mr Andrew Godden as CEO of Australia. He will report directly to Mr Nick Cook, CEO of BMS, and be based in Sydney.
Mr Godden has 30+ years in the insurance industry and this appointment will further enhance the reach BMS has been developing in Australia and across the Asia Pacific region.
Australia: Gallagher Bassett appoints General Manager of Specialty Markets
Gallagher Bassett (GB) has appointed Mr Peter Tomkins to run the General Insurance operation as General Manager of Specialty Markets, effective March 2017.
Mr Tomkins replaces Mr Damien Gilhooley, who is transitioning into the new role of General Manager – Catastrophe Response. Prior to this, Mr Tomkins had worked at GB in Sydney as a Business Development Manager.
China: Ping An appoints Chief Innovation Officer and CEO of new tech fund
Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd has appointed Mr Jonathan Larsen, as Chief Innovation Officer of the Group and Chairman and CEO of Ping An Global Voyager Fund, a new US$1 billion fund which will invest in FinTech and HealthTech opportunities globally on behalf of the group.
Mr Larsen will be responsible for bringing new technologies, platforms and business models to Ping An’s businesses in China and internationally. In addition he will seek to leverage Ping An’s unique technology capabilities to add value to companies in which the Ping An Global Voyager Fund invests.
Appointments of Hong Kong Insurance Authority’s senior executives announced
The Government has announced the appointment of senior executives of the Insurance Authority (IA).
The Chief Executive has appointed Mr John Leung Chi-yan as the CEO of the IA from 26 June 2017, to 25 June 2018, and made the following Executive Director (ED) appointments for a term of three years:
- Ms Carol Hui Mei-ying as the Executive Director, Long Term Business;
- Mr Simon Lam Sui-kong as the Executive Director, General Business;
- Mr Stephen Po Wai-kwong as the Executive Director, Market Conduct; and
- Mr Raymond Tam Wai-man as the Executive Director, Policy and Development.
Mr Leung is the incumbent Commissioner of Insurance (CoI). On appointment as the CEO, he will be seconded to the IA from the Government and will be responsible for the overall effective and efficient operation of the IA.
Hong Kong: Chubb Life hires new chief agency officer
Chubb has appointed Ms Rhonda Hui to the role of chief agency officer for Chubb Life in Hong Kong.
This means leading the agency management team to develop and implement effective strategies to further build a productive and quality agency force of scale.
Ms Hui has over 20 years of agency management experience in the life insurance industry and joins Chubb Life from FWD Life Insurance.
Malaysia: PIAM announces 2017/2018 management committee members
Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia (PIAM) has re-elected Mr Antony Lee, CEO of AIG Malaysia Insurance Bhd as its Chairman while Mr Chua Seck Guan, Chief Executive Officer of MSIG Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd, was re-elected as the Deputy Chairman.
Eight other CEOs of member companies of PIAM will serve on the Management Committee for 2017/2018, namely Mr Steve Crouch of Chubb Insurance Malaysia Bhd, En Zainudin Ishak of Malaysian Reinsurance Bhd, Mr Ng Kok Kheng of Overseas Assurance Corp (Malaysia) Berhad, Mr Leo Zanolini of QBE Insurance (Malaysia) Berhad, Mr Kong Shu Yin of RHB Insurance Berhad, Mr Randy Hong of Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd, Mr Jayakumar Somasundram of Tokio Marine Insurans (Malaysia) Berhad and Mr David Fike of Zurich Insurance Malaysia Bhd.
Malaysia: Avicennia Capital & Sun Life announce new CEOs
Avicennia Capital Sdn Bhd and Sun Life Malaysia has announced the appointments of new CEOs at their respective companies. Avicennia Capital has appointed Mr Ooi Say Teng as CEO, while Sun Life Malaysia Assurance Berhad has appointed Mr Raymond Lew Yung Chow as CEO & President. Mr Lew will also take on the role of Country Head, overseeing the insurance businesses of Sun Life in Malaysia.
Mr Ooi joins Avicennia Capital from Sun Life Malaysia where he was previously the CEO, while Mr Lew was previously the Deputy CEO of Sun Life Malaysia. Both appointments were effective from 1 May 2017.
Avicennia Capital has a strategic investment in Sun Life Malaysia and Sun Life Malaysia Takaful via a 49% stake in these companies, acquired in April 2013.
Global: AIG appoints Brian Duperreault as President and CEO
American International Group, Inc has appointed Mr Brian Duperreault as President, CEO and Director effective 14 May 2017.
Prior to this, Mr Duperreault had served as Chairman and CEO of Hamilton Insurance Group. Concurrent with this appointment, Mr Peter D. Hancock has resigned from AIG.
Mr Douglas M Steenland, AIG’s Chairman of the Board, said: “Brian is uniquely qualified to lead AIG at this important time. Brian has spent his entire career in insurance. He worked for AIG for 21 years at the start of his career, so he knows this company well. He was the CEO of ACE, one of our main competitors. He ran Marsh & McLennan Companies, one of AIG’s largest broker partners. At Hamilton, he introduced cutting edge data science and analytics into the insurance business. He is a hands-on leader who has consistently delivered strong bottom-line results. He has demonstrated a passion for deploying new and innovative ways to serve clients. All of this will enable Brian to help AIG achieve its full potential to be the leading insurance company.”
Mr Steenland continued: “The Board and I want to thank Peter Hancock for his leadership in positioning AIG for the future. During his tenure, Peter set the course for the company to deliver higher quality, more sustainable earnings and dramatically reduced reserve risk. We are grateful for his leadership over the past seven years.”
Mr Duperreault said: “It is a privilege to return and lead AIG. I look forward to building on AIG’s nearly 100-year heritage as one of the world’s leading insurers for its next century.”
Global: Hiscox Group names new CIO
Specialist global insurer Hiscox has announced the appointment of Mr Ian Penny as chief information officer (CIO) for the Hiscox Group.
An experienced IT professional with a wealth of global, blue-chip experience, Mr Penny was chief technology officer at Barclays, where he was responsible for the group’s IT infrastructure development and has led the bank’s cloud computing initiatives for three years.
Global: Validus Holdings appoints President
Validus Holdings, Ltd has named Mr Kean Driscoll as President of the company, effective immediately.
Mr Driscoll will continue to serve as the CEO of Validus Reinsurance, Ltd, the position he has held since 2012.