VIG Re, the reinsurance arm of Prague headquartered Vienna Insurance Group, has announced that Tobias Sonndorfer will take over from Johannes Martin Hartmann as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Board, effective January 1st, 2025.
Sonndorfer joined VIG Re from Munich Re on January 1st, 2023, as a new member of the Board of Directors, and took on the role of Vice Chairman of the Board earlier this year.
His appointment as CEO and Chairman is in line with the reinsurer’s succession plan, and during the handover of responsibilities, Hartmann will delegate most of his tasks to Sonndorfer to ensure a smooth transition.
“I am honoured to step into the role of the CEO at VIG Re. I am excited by the opportunity to grow VIG Re from its current strong position to the next level, amplifying our focus on providing market-leading reinsurance services to our clients,” said Sonndorfer.
Current CEO Hartmann will retire from his roles at the end of 2024. He joined the company’s Board in 2012 and was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors in July 2013.
“Since Tobias joined the Company, he has been already pivotal in designing the future strategic development of VIG Re in order to take VIG Re to the next level. I am delighted that he has been chosen as the one to whom I will hand over the baton,” said Hartmann.
Dr. Peter Thirring, Chairman of the VIG Re’s Supervisory Board, added: “Tobias brings a wealth of industry experience, proven business, and leadership skills. VIG Re is well positioned to capture the market opportunities and I am confident Tobias and the VIG Re Management Team will successfully lead the Company in its next strategic development phase.
“On behalf of VIG, I would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to Johannes Martin for his stewardship as CEO of VIG Re over the past 12 years. Under his leadership, the Company’s business, strategic positioning, financial results, and operational excellence have been built and the Company has earned a reputation as a highly regarded business partner with its clients and stakeholders. Johannes Martin has been a very dedicated and strong leader and we are happy that he agreed to continue serving VIG Group in various non-executive roles.”
