Global insurer Zurich has announced three new leadership appointments within its General Insurance operation in Australia and New Zealand, as it looks to strengthen its underwriting and claims capability.
In underwriting, Zurich has named Alex Morgan, currently the Head of Specialty for Commercial Insurance for Zurich’s Asia Pacific region, as Head of Retail in Underwriting and sees him relocate to Australia from Singapore.
Morgan’s appointment is effective May, 2020 and he brings nearly 17 years of industry experience to the role, having served as a Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO) in Singapore, China, and Japan.
“As we continue to respond to a rapidly changing SME insurance market, this role will be critical in maintaining our strong underwriting discipline while delivering premium solutions to meet the evolving needs of our customers and brokers,” said Tim Plant, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), General Insurance.
Within its claims division, Zurich has named James Dimitriou to Head of Claims, General Insurance. In this role, he will be responsible for strategic, operational, financial and stakeholder responsibilities within General Insurance Claims operations. He is set to join the firm in late January 2020, and will be based in Melbourne. Currently, he serves as Executive Manager for Commercial Specialty & Short Tail Claims at IAG.
The appointment of Dimitriou follows the recent appointment of Catherine L’Estrange as Head of Casualty & Specialty Claims. She joined the firm in November 2019 and is responsible for A&H, Financial Lines, Liability, Marine, Travel and Workers Compensation claims.
“We’re fortunate to have such high calibre leaders joining us, who each bring deep experience and capability to our business. These appointments reflect the commitment we have at Zurich to strengthen our position in the commercial intermediated market, by delivering a first class claims experience and underwriting expertise to both our brokers and customers,” said Plant.
