International insurance group Ageas has created a new role given the growth and ambitions of the reinsurance activities within the Group, naming Emmanuel Van Grimbergen as Managing Director, Reinsurance & Investments.
Van Grimbergen, currently CRO and with extensive experience in capital optimisation for the Group, is slated to assume the position on 1st June 2024, subject to the approval of the CRO appointment at the General Shareholders Meeting of 15 May 2024.
Until then, Antonio Cano will fulfil the position with his mandate at Ageas to end as of 1st June 2024. Within this new organisation, Joachim Racz will, as Chief Executive Officer of Ageas Re, report directly to Van Grimbergen.
Ageas has also implemented organisational changes within its Executive Committee to align its governance model to the company’s strategic ambitions. These changes are to better fit with the the company’s ideals to reflect the current business profile taking into account the evolving importance and size of the Group’s different activities.
These appointments are still subject to the approval of the National Bank of Belgium. The mandate of the MD Business Development will take effect on 8 April 2024. The other nominations will be operational as of 1 March 2024.
Ageas is reinforcing the Group’s current Executive Committee by including all its four business segments: Europe, Asia, Belgium, and Reinsurance. The Executive Committee, entrusted with the daily management of the Group, will be enlarged to eight members.
Karolien Gielen has been named the Managing Director, Business Development. This newly created role aims to be responsible for the development and implementation of the Group’s strategy, and for the further evolution of its footprint.
The Ageas Executive Committee will comprise Hans De Cuyper and Wim Guilliams remaining Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, respectively. Christophe Vandeweghe, currently CFO of Ageas Portugal, will succeed Emmanuel Van Grimbergen as Chief Risk Officer as of 1st June 2024.
AG’s CEO Heidi Delobelle will join the Ageas Executive Committee as Managing Director Belgium, considering the importance of the country within the Group. Ben Coumans, currently Group Director Strategy and M&A, will replace Antonio Cano as Managing Director, Europe, covering Ageas Portugal, Ageas UK and the Turkish joint ventures. Filip Coremans will continue his function as Managing Director, Asia.
Hans De Cuyper, CEO, Ageas, commented on these changes, “I am convinced that the new organisation and the wealth of experience and expertise brought together in the new Executive Committee from inside and outside our Group, will help our company to grow, to innovate and to remain future proof for all our stakeholders in the near and more distant future.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Antonio Cano for his outstanding contribution to the Group in his different roles at AG, as Chief Operating Officer of Ageas and since 2020 as MD Europe of the Group. I would like to congratulate the new members of the Executive Committee and we are looking forward to welcoming Karolien Gielen. Her international insurance knowledge, vast professional experience, and leadership skills, will bring a lot of added value to Ageas.”
