MSIG, Aon, Allianz Commercial, Willis, QBE: 20 APAC insurance people moves of the week

July 17 2026 by Roshan Nambiar

People Moves of the Week

InsuranceAsia News wraps up the people moves from the insurance industry in Asia this week.

1. MSIG Asia appoints new regional CEO

MSIG Asia has appointed Ronak Shah as regional chief executive officer, effective from October 1.

Shah succeeds Clemens Philippi, who was appointed co-chief strategy officer of MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings (MS&AD) in April to lead the group’s international business strategy.

In his new role, Shah will oversee MSIG Asia’s operations across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, India and Oceania, while also assuming expanded regional leadership for mainland China, Taiwan and South Korea.

Read the full story here.

2. Aon makes multiple changes across APAC

Aon has appointed Sean Deehan as CEO of its Strategy and Technology Group for APAC, the broker’s consulting and advisory unit, effective immediately.

In his new role, Deehan will help expand access to Aon’s integrated advisory, analytics and technology-led solutions, enabling clients to make better risk and capital decisions and pursue profitable growth.

Yen Lin Ee has rejoined Aon as Asia regional director in its transaction solutions team.

She will relocate from Singapore to Tokyo and will be responsible for strengthening Aon’s presence in the Japanese transaction liability market.

Edwin Lee, meanwhile, has been promoted to head of growth, commercial risk solutions in Singapore, while Jamine Figueroa has been promoted to director of sales enablement for Southeast Asia.

Lee has been an associate director at Aon in Singapore since October 2022.

Figueroa, meanwhile, will lead the region’s sales enablement agenda, driving the strategies, tools and disciplines that strengthen commercial execution and client outcomes.

Aon’s Reinsurance Solutions has hired Metat Sae-Jan as head of L&H in Thailand.

Bangkok-based Sae-Jan has about 16 years of insurance experience and was most recently a partner at Thai insurance broker XEL Advisory.

Read the full story here, here, here and here.

3. Allianz Commercial promotes duo to Singapore MD, regional distribution head

Allianz Commercial has promoted Jenny Wilhelm to managing director of Singapore, with Will Slade taking over as regional head of distribution for Asia, with both appointments effective from August 1.

In the newly created regional role, Wilhelm will be responsible for the strategic growth and performance of Allianz Commercial across Singapore, the Asean markets and Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Slade will drive the Asia distribution strategy, developing and implementing plans to deliver smart growth across the region, including broker and client engagement as Allianz Commercial continues to roll out its “Customer First” strategy.

Read the full story here.

4. Willis names new CRB head for Southeast Asia, chief commercial officer for Asia

Willis has rehired Oliver Pryce as head of its corporate risk and broking (CRB) business in Southeast Asia to replace Rupert Roberts following his promotion to chief commercial officer for Asia.

Singapore-based Pryce returns to Willis following five years at Marsh, where he is currently head of Bowring Marsh for South Asia.

Roberts has been with Willis since December 2022 and has been head of Southeast Asia corporate risk and broking since January 2024.

Read the full story here.

5. QBE names Asia CFO as interim wholesale markets CEO, North Asia hull and liability leader

QBE Asia has named chief financial officer Siang Leng Tay as interim CEO of its Asia wholesale markets division following Ronak Shah’s departure for MSIG.

Tay has been CFO of QBE Asia since August 2019 and will transition out of this role during his period as interim CEO of Asia wholesale markets.

QBE has also promoted Angus Cheung to market lead for hull and liability in North Asia.

Cheung has been with QBE since August 2017, joining as a manager of marine risks underwriting for Hong Kong, before being promoted to market lead of hull and liability marine risks for Hong Kong in January 2022.

Read the full story here and here.

6. Swiss Re CorSo names expert casualty underwriter for ANZ

Swiss Re Corporate Solutions (Swiss Re CorSo) has handed Jacqueline McCarthy additional responsibilities as an expert casualty underwriter for Australia and New Zealand.

The role expands McCarthy’s underwriting authority, increasing local decision-making capability and supporting the firms market-unit structure through greater empowerment in-country.

Read the full story here .

7. PartnerRe appoints India CEO

PartnerRe has appointed Ankur Gupta as chief executive officer for India.

Mumbai-based Gupta joins from Munich Re, having last held the position of head of client management for India since July 2019.

Read the full story here.

8. Kiwi insurer NZI taps pair of industry veterans for senior roles

NZI said it has tapped Troy Sexton as executive general manager for portfolio performance and strategy, and Kent Chaplin as head of liability.

In his newly created role, Sexton will drive NZI’s property portfolio strategy and performance and will join NZI’s leadership team. He will join NZI on July 20.

Chaplin, meanwhile, will join in September to lead NZI’s liability business after almost seven years at Delta Insurance Group, where he was CEO.

Read the full story here.

9. Emergence Insurance nabs ex-cop as New Zealand country head

Cyber specialist Emergence Insurance has named Fraser Walker as its country head for New Zealand.

Auckland-based Walker has been with Emergence for over three years, previously serving as national business development manager, then the head of distribution in New Zealand, having joined from Construction Cost Consultants in July 2023.

Read the full story here.

10. Sompo appoints head of financial lines for Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan

Sompo has appointed Canon Liu as head of financial lines for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Liu joins from QBE Hong Kong, where he had been leading the financial lines portfolio since January, having joined in February 2022 as an underwriting manager.

Read the full story here.

11. AIG elevates ocean marine head to Pacific head of marine

AIG has promoted Anouk Sireude to head of marine for the Pacific region.

Sireude will take charge of AIG’s inland and ocean marine portfolio across Australia and New Zealand.

Read the full story here.

12. Lockton names Asia cyber advisory, Pacific risk consulting heads

Lockton has appointed Jeremie Deschamps as regional head of cyber advisory in Asia.

He joins Lockton from Marsh Asia, where he served as vice president for cyber risk consulting, advising clients on cyber risk management, insurance solutions and emerging technology exposures.

Patrick Hunter has joined Lockton as head of risk consulting for the Pacific region.

Auckland-based Hunter joins from Marsh, where he had spent over five years, holding the positions of head of advisory for New Zealand and Fiji and head of forensic and growth since joining in July 2021.

Read the full story here and here.

13. Starr appoints head of business development for marine in North Asia

Starr has appointed Sparks Lai as head of business development for marine in North Asia.

Hong Kong-based Lai joins from Generali Global Corporate & Commercial, where he had served as business development for marine since August 2022.

Read the full story here.

14. OneDegree promotes deputy to chief executive

OneDegree has promoted Emily Chow to its chief executive officer and executive director.

Chow, who joined the insurer in 2022, previously served as general manager and deputy chief executive, where she helped drive the company’s operational and financial expansion.

Read the full story here.

15. CFC Australian cyber team with new hire

CFC has tapped Gemma Hicks as Australia cyber development manager as part of an effort to strengthen its local capabilities.

Hicks, who is based in Sydney, has joined CFC from Coalition, where she was a business development manager from July 2023.

Read the full story here.

16. Markel strengthens greater China marine capabilities, Asia claims team with double appointment

Markel has strengthened its Asia claims team with the appointment of Sarika Sagar Gadekar in India as a claims adjuster.

Gadekar will be based in Mumbai, and will focus on marine, overseeing claims arising from Markel’s India portfolio across transport, logistics, cargo and specie risks.

Markel Insurance has also appointed Vincent Wang as a marine risk engineer for its Lloyd’s China platform, effective immediately.

Based in Shanghai, Wang will support the development of Markel’s marine risk management and underwriting capabilities across greater China, working closely with underwriting teams while engaging clients and brokers.

Read the full story here and here.

17. Marsh elevates 23-year veteran to Pacific head of advocacy

Marsh has promoted Robert Krleski to head of advocacy for the Pacific region.

Krleski has been with Marsh for nearly 23 years, joining in September 2003 as manager for technical claims, which he still holds, and was most recently the head of advocacy and head of construction and property since January 2025.

Read the full story here.

18. AUB Group names national manager for broker partnerships

Australian insurance broker AUB Group has appointed Eric Harris as its national manager for broker partnerships.

Sydney-based Harris joins following 27 years with Aon in roles across Papua New Guinea and Australia, last holding the position of head of operations for Asia Pacific since December 2021.

Read the full story here.

19. Howden appoints financial lines leader in the Philippines

Howden has appointed Joaquin Carlos Uy as financial lines leader in the Philippines, as the international insurance broker seeks to develop innovative solutions for clients navigating an increasingly complex corporate environment.

Uy is returning to Howden after he left about nine years ago for WTW, and will lead the financial lines practice, driving the development of bespoke and specialised solutions that address clients’ evolving crime, cyber, management liability, and professional liability needs.

Read the full story here.

20. Hollard Insurance promotes head of product, underwriting to head of distribution

Australian insurer Hollard Insurance has promoted Tony Martiniello as head of distribution.

Sydney-based Martiniello will be responsible for driving existing portfolio growth and building new partnerships across Australia and New Zealand.

Read the full story here.

Other moves you may have missed

Guy Carpenter senior vice president Cait Fisher is set to swap Sydney for Bermuda “to continue to work for APAC clients servicing their treaty and retro needs.” Fisher has been with Guy Carpenter since October 2020 having joined from Willis Re, where she had been for over seven and a half years.

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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