Rare Earth Insurance Partners, a member of the +8 Partners global insurance ecosystem, has announced several promotions and new positions within its leadership team.
Rare Earth, headquartered in Hong Kong, with additional offices located in Shanghai, Taiwan, and the UK, is an independent wholesale insurance broker that offers competitive commercial insurance products and specialised expertise to retail brokers and insureds.
The company moves include Wang Wei promotion from his current position of Chief Executive to Chairman, Rare Earth Insurance Partners, Asia Pacific.
The executive has been with Rare Earth Insurance Partners since July 2019, at the time bringing over 20 years of professional experience across Asia Pacific.
An insurance veteran with over two decades of experience, Candace Chan was named Chief Executive, Rare Earth Insurance Partners, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Chan joined the firm in 2018 to oversee its shipping division before being named Managing Director of the Hong Kong office in 2019.
The executive has served in various leadership roles with Jardine Ship Management Ltd., Charles Taylor Adjusting, before serving as the Regional Director of a major marine insurance broker providing global coverage for shipping and logistics sectors.
Rare Earth also named Mark Gu, former Chairman, Shanghai, as Chief Executive of Rare Earth Insurance Partners, China. Gu joined the firm in 2017, bringing over 20 years of marine insurance experience.
He began his career at Tokio Marine China, moved to AIG, and then became Head of Marine at RSA China, managing the national portfolio for 16 years. In 2013, he shifted to broking, focusing on marine reinsurance for mainland China cedants and developing inward overseas opportunities.
Martin Ham has been appointed Chief Executive, UK and Europe. Based in the UK, Ham will be responsible for the growth and expansion in marine reinsurance and other specialty lines in the U.K., Europe, and the U.S.
Prior to his new appointment, the executive, who brings over 30 years of professional experience from the UK and Asia to his new role, served as Director of Rare Earth Partners, UK and Europe – a role he held since 2022.
Ham started his career with Steamship P&I Club in London before becoming a Lloyd’s insurance broker with HSBC and other firms. He transferred to Hong Kong in 2011, and in 2016 took up the position of Head of Marine at Chubb Insurance before joining Rare Earth.
“When we established +8, our founding philosophy was that growth and opportunity should be shared — not just in terms of business performance, but in the development of the talented people who drive that performance,” says Philip Bilney, Founder and Executive Chairman of +8 Partners. “These appointments are a direct expression of that philosophy: we want our best people to reach the highest levels of responsibility and leadership within our organisation, and we are proud to see that happening.
“At the same time, these changes reflect how Rare Earth’s focus has sharpened and matured. Our new ability to trade in China, which we acquired last year, was a landmark moment, and we are building meaningfully on the opportunities that have followed. Our presence in Hong Kong and Taiwan continues to deliver, as have our relationships in the London market. These appointments position us well to pursue all of that with real intent.
“This is an investment in the business — a more defined senior leadership creates room for the next generation of talent to grow and share in the company’s success.”
