Aon, the global professional services company focused on risk, health and wealth solutions, has announced a series of leadership changes affecting its EMEA and Latin America (LatAm) operations, including the appointments of Kai-Frank Buechter and Tracy-Lee Kus as co-CEOs for EMEA from 1 June.
Under the revised structure, Buechter will oversee Continental Europe and North Africa, while Kus will lead operations across the UK, Ireland, South Africa, and the Middle East.
Insurance and reinsurance broker Aon also confirmed that Pedro Penalva will become CEO of Latin America from 1 July. All three executives will report to President and CEO Greg Case and join the company’s Executive Committee.
Additionally, Alfonso Gallego de Chaves will assume the position of Deputy CEO of EMEA from 1 June, reporting to Buechter, while Andrea Parisi is set to become chair of Continental Europe from 1 January 2027. Aon added that leadership arrangements in North America and APAC will remain unchanged under Anne Corona and Jennifer Richards, respectively.
“As we continue to accelerate our Aon United strategy to serve clients with distinction at a time of rising need, we are excited to announce new regional responsibilities for Kai-Frank, Tracy-Lee and Pedro to help advance how we deliver for clients in and across our regions,” commented Case.
Aon highlighted Buechter’s more than 26 years with the business, most recently serving as CEO of the company’s DACH region, covering Germany, Austria and Switzerland. His previous leadership positions at Aon have included CEO of Aon Risk Solutions Germany, Chairman of the Management Board of Aon Holdings Deutschland GmbH, and Chief Commercial Officer of Aon Risk Solutions Germany.
“Clients across EMEA face rising volatility and complexity,” added Buechter. “I’m excited to partner with Tracy-Lee to build on our momentum in delivering actionable insights, differentiated Risk Capital and Human Capital capabilities and leading expertise to our clients.”
Kus brings more than three decades of industry experience spanning underwriting and broking roles across South Africa, the UK, and Asia. Most recently, she led Aon’s Global Broking Center, where she focused on market strategy, strengthening access to global capacity and developing tailored client solutions.
The company confirmed she will continue in that role until a successor is appointed. Earlier in her career at Aon, Kus served as Head of Commercial Risk for APAC and held several senior leadership positions, including Head of North Asia and leader of the company’s Financial and Professional Services division in the UK. She also currently chairs the London and International Insurance Brokers’ Association (LIIBA).
“It is a privilege to lead Aon’s presence in EMEA with Kai-Frank,” said Kus. “I’m looking forward to further advancing the work of our high-performing teams to deliver market-leading capabilities and expertise to our clients.”
Aon stated that Penalva has held a variety of senior positions during his 15 years with the company. Most recently, he served as Head of Enterprise Clients for EMEA, overseeing support for more than 150 enterprise clients across 10 countries.
Previous roles have included CEO of Iberia, Africa and Israel, Chief Commercial Officer of multinational accounts for EMEA, Global Client Network Director for EMEA and CEO of Aon Portugal. The company added that Penalva will continue supporting the transition of his current responsibilities until a replacement is named.
“It is a profound honour to lead Aon in Latin America and to serve our colleagues and clients across the region,” noted Penalva. “At a moment when our clients are navigating unprecedented complexity and volatility, the strength of our integrated capabilities, the depth of our expertise and the relevance of our globally-connected firm have never been more consequential. I look forward to advancing our strategy in close partnership with an exceptional team that defines what makes Aon distinctive.”
As part of the transition, Aon confirmed that current EMEA CEO Julie Page, and Latin America CEO Alejandro Galizia, will remain involved with the business as regional chairs through 2026 before moving into senior adviser roles in 2027. The company also noted that Jane Kielty will support the handover of leadership responsibilities across the UK, Ireland and South Africa.
Case further added: “We are grateful to Julie, Jane and Alejandro for their leadership, the significant contributions they made in serving our clients and building our firm, and the teams they have developed who will carry our work forward.”
Page stated: “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together during the first phase of our 3×3 Plan. Now is the right time for the next generation of leaders to take the business forward, and I’m excited to support them as they build on this strong momentum.”
Galizia said: “After more than 25 years at Aon, I feel an immense sense of pride reflecting on the journey we have built together across Latin America. I have had the privilege of witnessing — and contributing to — Aon’s transformation into the firm it is today. More than anything, it is our people, their values, and their passion that have made this journey truly meaningful and I am excited about the future of the Latin America region under the Pedro’s leadership.”
