Aon, Zurich, Howden, Sompo: 11 APAC insurance people moves of the week
May 22 2026 by Roshan Nambiar
InsuranceAsia News wraps up the people moves from the insurance industry in Asia this week.
1. Aon makes Japan, Malaysia leadership changes, names enterprise client group growth leader for APAC
Aon has tapped Tokio Marine veteran Max Hirai as CEO of Japan, effective from June 30.
Tokyo-based Hirai built his career at Tokio Marine spending nearly three decades with the firm across the globe, and will lead Aon’s business in Japan, succeeding Tatsuya Yamamoto, who will work closely in an advisory capacity to support a smooth leadership transition.
Aon’s Malaysia CEO Neelay Patel also confirmed the promotions of Ming Hui Lim to head of commercial risk solutions, and Ram Nandrajog to chief broking officer and head of financial specialties.
Lim has been with Aon since June 2018 in Singapore and Malaysia. He previously spent over 14 years at Marsh in Kuala Lumpur.
Nandrajog, meanwhile, has been with Aon for over eight and a half years, most recently as head of the financial specialties cluster.
Chris Camerieri has been named enterprise client group growth leader for APAC, based in Singapore.
Camerieri will be responsible for building client relationships across the region, helping them access the full breadth of Aon’s global capabilities.
Read the full story here, here and here.
2. Zurich appoints duo to newly created leadership roles, names new APAC energy head
Zurich has strengthened its regional leadership team with the appointment of Giles Crowley as head of customer and distribution management for APAC, while Zurich Australia has appointed Sarah Powell as head of international broker and customer engagement.
Crowley will relocate to Singapore in his new role and will work closely with in-country teams, including Australia, to further enhance underwriting capability and local market strategies in line with Zurich’s regional priorities.
Powell will be responsible for leading customer and broker initiatives through innovation, partnership and operational excellence.
Zurich Insurance has promoted Kin Lee to the role of head of energy for Asia Pacific.
Singapore-based Lee, who had been head of onshore energy since joining in 2023, will lead the development and execution of the underwriting strategy for Zurich’s energy portfolio across the region in the new role.
Read the full story here and here.
3. Howden names Asia head of surety, makes senior appointments in Australia, India
Howden has tapped Anthony Sang Churl Hong as head of its Asia surety business.
Hong is based in Singapore and will work closely with Edmund Arghand, head of credit, political risk, and surety for Asia, and Azman Noorani, Howden’s global practice leader for surety.
Howden India has named Suresh Ram Matcha as associate president and head of operational risks and marine property and risk management.
Matcha has been with Howden since September and was previously head of marine and property.
Howden Australia has tapped Rebekah Scott as a partner for financial lines, according to a LinkedIn update.
Before joining Howden, Sydney-based Scott had been at Marsh since 1998, including her time at JLT from 2003 to 2019 prior to its acquisition by Marsh.
Read the full story here, here and here.
4. Sompo hires senior casualty underwriter for Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan 
Sompo Asia Pacific has appointed Megan Yeung as a senior casualty underwriter for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, effective from Monday.
Most recently a casualty underwriter at Axa XL, where she had worked since 2018, and will report to Will Wang, head of casualty, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Read the full story here.
5. Munich Re taps new APAC MEA L&H lead
Munich Re has appointed Gavin Maistry as chief executive for life and health in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, succeeding Daniel Cossette, who is retiring after 19 years with the group.
Singapore-based Maistry will assume the role in the second half of 2026, once a successor is named for his current position as global chief actuary for life and health.
Read the full story here.
6. Cyber insurer Cowbell names Australia general manager
Zurich-backed MGA Cowbell has appointed Gerry Power as general manager for Australia.
Power, who is based in Sydney, has over 35 years of experience in the insurance industry. He previously founded his own consultancy and spent more than six years as head of sales at Emergence Insurance, the Australian MGA.
Read the full story here.
7. Guy Carpenter appoints head of growth for APAC 
Guy Carpenter has appointed Andrew Hare as head of growth for Asia Pacific.
Singapore-based Hare joins from fintech firm FIS, where he had been vice president and head of insurance for Asia Pacific since July.
Read the full story here.
8. Seadrif taps Richard Poulter to lead sovereign asset and fiscal empowerment facility
Richard Poulter has joined the Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility (Seadrif) as lead for its sovereign asset and fiscal empowerment facility, the regional initiative designed to embed insurance directly into developmental finance.
Seadrif said Poulter has joined the Southeast Asia catastrophe risk pool to lead Seadrif-Safe, the initiative backed by the Asean+3 finance ministers to protect public infrastructure in the region from natural disasters.
Read the full story here.
9. Kiwi broker Rothbury appoints Aon veteran as head of broking services
Kiwi broker Rothbury Insurance Brokers has appointed Charlene Kitching as its head of broking services.
Papamoa-based Kitching will work from Rothbury’s Tauranga office, and brings 34 years of experience with Aon, spanning broking, branch management and her most recent role as national client placement facility manager.
Read the full story here.
10. Victor Pacific names head of underwriting operations
Victor Pacific, an underwriting agency and authorised representative of Marsh, has hired Carly Martin as head of underwriting operations.
Melbourne-based Martin joins following two decades in underwriting roles with QBE, last holding the position of senior manager for underwriting enablement since April 2022.
Read the full story here.
11. GT Insurance taps chief commercial officer
Paul McLean has been named as chief commercial officer for GT Insurance, a partner agency of Allianz Broker Australia that specialises in the Australian transport sector.
Sydney-based McLean has over two decades of experience with insurance firms, and joins from PSC Insurance Brokers, where he was a regional executive since April 2025.
Read the full story here.
Other moves you may have missed
Howden has formed a dedicated practice serving South Korean firms with a significant presence in the United States, according to a statement on Wednesday, with New York-based Brian Cho appointed to lead the newly formed unit within Howden US designed to provide Asia-based clients with cross border expertise and support.
Gallagher Re has appointed Carlos Grijalva as executive director and head of cyber for Asia Pacific, confirming a report last month by InsuranceAsia News. He will collaborate closely with Gallagher Re’s APAC regional teams, the global Gallagher Re cyber team, as well as colleagues across Gallagher, to develop and grow cyber capabilities across the value chain in APAC.
For more InsuranceAsia News (IAN) people moves at brokers, insurers, reinsurers, insurtechs, specialty players, MGAs and loss adjusters across Asia Pacific’s fast-growing (re)insurance markets click here.
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Howden, Ardonagh, Antares, Swiss Re, Sedgwick: 12 APAC insurance people moves of the week
- May 15
Sompo, Gallagher Re, Santam, Delta Insurance, RiskPoint, Envest and MSIG also made personnel changes over the last week.
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Willis Re, Lockton, Sedgwick, Deutsche Rück, AIG: 15 APAC insurance people moves of the week
- May 8
Zurich, Munich Re, Aon, MS Amlin, Howden, Oneglobal Broking, Swiss Re CorSo, Gallagher Re, Suncorp, Axa XL and Sompo also made personnel changes over the last week.
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Ardonagh, Sompo, Howden, Aon: 12 APAC insurance people moves of the week
- May 1
SBI General Insurance, HDFC Ergo, MLX Risk Partners, Zurich, Allianz Trade, Fusion Specialty, Pacific Prime and Lockton also made personnel changes over the last week.
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Gallagher Re, PartnerRe, Swiss Re, Willis: 9 APAC insurance people moves of the week
- April 24
Newline, Aon, bolttech, PSC Insurance Brokers and Chubb also made personnel changes over the last week.
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