Willis Towers Watson names new head for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Willis Towers Watson has appointed Mr Neil Irwin as the new leader of the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEEMEA) region. He takes up his new position with immediate effect, and will be based in Dubai.
With more than 25 years of industry experience, much of it in the CEEMEA region, Mr Irwin will lead a diverse and high-growth region with around 2,300 colleagues in more than 40 countries, and will also act as the Head of Corporate Risk and Broking for CEEMEA.
Mr Irwin has been working within the CEEMEA region since 2009 where he led business development for EMEA and India at Marsh for four years, and was Managing Director for Marsh’s operations in the Middle East and Africa from 2013 to 2016.
Most recently, he led Global Distribution at Cigna Global Health Benefits, working between Dubai and the US.
Earlier in his career, he held a number of senior positions in Europe, including Regional Managing Director for Marsh in the UK and Europe Development Director at Sedgwick.
FPI appoints Managing Director for Middle East and Africa
Friends Provident International (FPI) has appointed Mr Chris Divito as Managing Director, Middle East and Africa.
Mr Divito joins FPI from the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority (DIFCA) where he was Senior Vice President and Head of Wealth and Asset Management.
Prior to working for DIFCA, he was CEO of Standard Life’s Middle East business.
He takes over from Mr Marcus Gent who, having completed a three-year secondment, has returned with his family to the UK.
Coface names interim country manager for GCC
Global trade credit insurer Coface has appointed Ms Berna Keskin as the acting interim Country Manager for GCC.
Based in Dubai, she will succeed Mr Massimo Falcioni, who has decided to pursue opportunities outside Coface. Ms Keskin was last appointed to the position of COO for the GCC Countries.
Ms Keskin joined Coface in Turkey in 2007 as Director of Underwriting and Claims departments after 10 years’ experience in various public and private financial institutions. She worked as Chief Risk Underwriting Officer for Coface Turkey since 2013 and in 2015 extended her responsibilities to deputy risk underwriting director for Mediterranean Africa Region.
Malaysia: Milliman promotes Head of Life Insurance & Family Takaful to Principal
Ms Farzana Ismail, who heads Milliman’s Life Insurance & Takaful practice in Malaysia, has been promoted to Principal.
With more than 10 years of experience in the industry, Ms Farzana first joined Milliman’s London office in 2004, leaving to return to Malaysia in 2012.
In 2016, she rejoined Milliman to head Milliman’s new life insurance consulting team in Kuala Lumpur as part of the company’s expansion in the region.
She also plays a prominent role in Milliman’s consulting to takaful companies globally.
Ms Farzana has worked with clients covering a range of areas, including M&A, takaful, Solvency II, appointed actuary roles, asset-liability management, enterprise risk management, longevity risk and block annuities transactions.
Her project experience has covered Asia Pacific, Europe, the US, and Africa (where she helped develop takaful regulations in Tanzania). She is a regular writer and presenter on various actuarial topics, including takaful and longevity risk.
UAE: New hire at Pinsent Masons to lead insurance and wealth management offering in Dubai
Pinsent Masons, an international law firm which has regional offices across the Middle East, has enhanced its financial services sector capability with the appointment of Mr Tom Bicknell, who will lead the firm’s insurance and wealth management offering in Dubai.
Mr Bicknell, who joins as a Partner, was previously a legal director in the corporate insurance and financial services team at Clyde & Co in Dubai. He has worked as a corporate and financial services lawyer for over 10 years and has a deep understanding of the financial services market in the region.
Bringing a wealth of experience in insurance regulation, products and distribution, he will provide new and existing insurance and wealth management clients with regulatory and product distribution advice in the region.
His specialism includes advising insurers, reinsurers, coverholders, Lloyd’s syndicates, brokers and third-party administrators in respect of their business throughout the Middle East.
He also has extensive expertise in advising investment and pension product issuers, international financial institutions, wealth managers and financial advisers as well as online platform operators and FinTech start-ups.
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