The Geneva Association, a global insurance industry organisation that brings together senior leaders from major insurers and reinsurers to support research and discussion on risk and resilience, has confirmed a change in its chairmanship following its spring 2026 board meeting held on the 3rd of June.
Lard Friese, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Aegon, has been named Chair of the Geneva Association. He had been serving as Vice Chair since November 2024 and takes over from Lee Yuan Siong, Group Chief Executive and President of AIA, who will remain on the board after completing his tenure as Chair.
At the 2026 General Assembly on the 4th of June, the Geneva Association also elected two new members to its board of directors: Christoph Jurecka, Chair of the Board of Management at Munich Re, and Tim Sweeney, Chairman, President and CEO of Liberty Mutual Insurance.
Friese commented: “I am grateful to Lee Yuan Siong for his outstanding leadership over the past two years. It is a privilege to succeed him as Chair of the Geneva Association, an organisation that plays such an important role in shaping the understanding of global risk and resilience.
“At a time of heightened uncertainty, fragmentation, and interconnected risks, the industry’s collective insight and evidence-based research are more important than ever. I am also delighted to welcome Christoph Jurecka and Tim Sweeney to the board of directors, and I look forward to working with them and all Geneva Association Board members, in addition to Jad Ariss and the Geneva Association team, to advance our mission.”
Jad Ariss, Managing Director of the Geneva Association, added: “I would like to thank Lee Yuan Siong for his vision and dedication. It has been an honour to work alongside him in advancing our belief in ‘Insurance for a Better World’. Under his leadership, we have significantly grown our membership in Asia and heightened the Association’s profile across the region, enhancing our global reach and long-term impact.
“I am delighted that Lard Friese has been appointed Chair and I look forward to working with him. I also warmly welcome new board members Christoph Jurecka and Tim Sweeney. Together with the wider board, we will ensure that the Geneva Association continues to provide the research, dialogue and leadership needed to help the industry navigate an increasingly complex risk landscape.”
The spring 2026 board meeting of the Geneva Association took place ahead of its annual two-day General Assembly in Madrid, Spain, where 61 global insurance chief executives gathered under the theme ‘A World Under Strain: Resilience Amid Fragmentation.’
