Large carrier Zurich Insurance Group has appointed Digbijoy Joseph Shukla (Digi) as Head of Digital, Asia Pacific (APAC), taking over the role from Roopa Malhotra, who has transitioned to Chief Growth & Propositions Officer in Zurich, Japan.
Shukla will help shape Zurich’s pan-Asia Pacific customer and digital agenda, and lead Zurich Edge, the insurer’s regional digital and embedded insurance business.
His remit also includes accelerating regional digital growth, deepening ecosystem partnerships with platform and technology partners, and advancing the integration of insurance into customer journeys.
Shukla has over two decades of experience in entrepreneurship, technology, and digital ecosystems across Asia. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer of two Carsome subsidiaries, iCar Asia and WapCar AutoFun, while leading M&A and ecosystem strategy, including incubating & scaling a SaaS Venture within the Carsome Group.
In the past, Shukla has spent nearly seven years at Amazon Web Services (AWS), rising to lead startup ecosystem business development across India and ASEAN, earning multiple awards for his impact.
In her new role, Malhotra joins the Japan Executive Committee to lead growth, innovation and cross‑sales initiatives across P&C and Life.
She helped establish and scale Zurich Edge, which was launched in Singapore in 2022, and now operates across the company’s APAC markets with an ecosystem of over 100 partners, including Cathay Pacific, Trip.com, Traveloka, and GXS Bank.
The platform combines embedded insurance with cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence, to integrate protection into partner platforms and everyday customer journeys, explained Zurich.
Matt Reilly, Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific, Zurich, commented, “Digi brings a truly unique combination of entrepreneurial drive, deep ecosystem expertise, and proven leadership at scale. This breadth of experience makes him the ideal leader to drive the next phase of our customer and digital strategy.
“Over the past four years, Zurich Edge has grown into a multi-market, multi-award-winning platform with over 100 partners, and with Digbijoy at the helm, we’re set to accelerate that momentum even further.”
Shukla added, “I’m excited to have joined Zurich at such a pivotal moment for its digital ambitions in Asia Pacific. Having spent my career building and scaling digital businesses, ecosystems, and communities, I see tremendous potential in what Zurich Edge has already achieved.
“Scaling to over 100 partners across the region, while pioneering the use of AI in embedded insurance, is remarkable. I look forward to working with the team to take this to the next level and create even greater value for our customers and partners.”
