QBE Re unveils new boss following Postlewhite departure

QBE has unveiled a new managing director of  QBE Re, months after Steve Postlewhite quit the business for undisclosed reasons after four years at the helm.

Chris Killourhy will take the reins from September, moving from his current role as chief financial officer, QBE International. He takes over from Peter Wilkins, who had been appointed chief underwriting officer of QBE Re in May 2022, who had been doing the top job on an interim basis.

Killourhy has worked for international re/insurance and consulting companies across the globe. He also spent time with the Bermuda Monetary Authority where his responsibilities included the supervision of reinsurer capital and catastrophe models.

He joined QBE in June 2015 and has held a number of roles including chief actuarial officer and chief financial officer for QBE's Australia Pacific division, before returning to the UK in 2020 to take up the role of chief financial officer for QBE International.

Killourhy said: “It is such a privilege to take on the leadership of QBE Re at this exciting time. With a strong leadership team in place and deep technical expertise throughout the organisation, the franchise is well placed to build on impressive growth over the first half of the year and support QBE in its commitment to being a consistent and innovative risk partner.”

Jason Harris, CEO QBE International, added: “We put in place an ambitious set of plans for QBE Re earlier this year and I am delighted to have someone of Chris’s calibre to drive their delivery. My thanks to Peter Wilkins who took the reins on an interim basis, and I have every confidence that resuming his role as Chief Underwriting Officer supporting Chris will contribute to a very solid, committed, and creative senior leadership team.”

Did you get value from this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.