Swiss Re shuffles leadership in Asia and Americas with focus on China

Global reinsurer  Swiss Re has made key leadership changes in Asia and North America as it looks to strengthen its position in dynamic high growth markets, focusing predominantly on China.

Ivan Gonzalez (pictured) has been appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of reinsurance China, as well as country president with effect from July 2022. He will relocate from New York to Beijing.

Katie McGrath will succeed Gonzalez as regional CEO for Swiss Re Corporate Solutions in North America. She will be based in New York.

In his new role, Gonzalez will have composite responsibilities for all reinsurance operations in China and serve as Swiss Re’s president in the country. He was most recently the CEO North America for Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, a role he held since 2016, offering insurance capacity and customised risk transfer solutions to corporations in the US and Canada.

Gonzalez began his career in 2001 as a financial analyst with Swiss Re Capital Partners in New York and assisted in several corporate development initiatives, including the acquisition of GE Insurance Solutions. In 2006, he moved to Swiss Re Group Strategy in Zurich and was subsequently appointed as CEO Latin America for Swiss Re Corporate Solutions in 2011 out of Sao Paulo.

McGrath has more than 25 years of experience across multiple roles in commercial insurance. Since joining Swiss Re Corporate Solutions in 2019, she has been responsible for its accident & health portfolio in North America. With expertise in underwriting, revenue and profit growth, integration and change management, product development and strategy, McGrath has also been a member of Swiss Re Corporate Solutions’ management team in North America. Prior to joining Swiss Re, she has worked in several senior roles in AIG in New York.

Russell Higginbotham, CEO reinsurance Asia, said: “ Swiss Re remains committed to investing in China’s long-term future and being part of this dynamic high growth market. Ivan’s move is an exciting one as he brings his knowledge, global mindset, and fresh perspectives to support our clients in this strategically important country. His keen interest to understand China and its role in shaping the future of business, and personal passion to help make the world more resilient will further strengthen Swiss Re’s position in the country.”

Andreas Berger, CEO Corporate Solutions, added: “Ivan has been instrumental in the repositioning of Swiss Re as a specialised risk partner for corporations in the Americas and we wish him great success in China. We are proud to have Katie succeed him, reflecting the strength of our talent pool and the stability of our management team. We are confident she will accelerate the strategic engagement with our customers and business partners by further leveraging our risk knowledge and differentiated propositions.”

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