VIG Re swoops for Munich Re/Swiss Re veterans amid leadership shakeup and exits

VIG Re, the reinsurance arm of Vienna Insurance Group, has scooped up top talent from  Munich Re and  Swiss Re as part of a leadership reshuffle following the departure of two key executives and plans to move its German branch office to Munich.

Tobias Sonndorfer (Pictured Left) has joined VIG Re as a member of the board of directors following more than 12 years with Munich Re, where he served as an executive director for the past six years. Sonndorfer also served as a member of supervisory board at insurtech wefox.

Furthermore, Catrina Gemmerich (Pictured Center) will join the firm as new managing director of VIG Re’s German branch and head of DACH & Nordics, effective February 15, 2023, taking over the role from Fabian Christoph who is leaving to pursue opportunities outside of VIG Group. In 2023, VIG Re plans to relocate its German branch office from Frankfurt to Munich.

Catrina comes to VIG Re from Munich Re, where over the past nine years she held various underwriting and client management roles, most recently as a client manager heading the team for multinational insurance companies in Continental Europe.

Finally, Cristina Ferrari (Pictured Right) will become the company's new chief underwriting officer, effective March 2023, taking over the position from Olaf Dietrich who has decided to retire from the reinsurance industry after almost 35 years.

Ferrari has 18 years of experience in P&C underwriting, claims handling, and client relationship management, both in mature and emerging markets. Prior joining VIG Re, she worked 13 years for Swiss Re in Zurich and Miami where she held various management positions for almost 14 years.

Johannes Martin Hartmann, VIG Re’s CEO and chairman of the board of directors, said: “I am excited that we could convince Catrina as a top talent of the industry to join our team. With her experience in delivering bespoke client solutions and shaping strong market teams, VIG Re will further strengthen its market position in the region. I am very confident that Catrina and the team will succeed in capturing the growth opportunities by further enhancing the positioning of VIG Re as a reliable and solution orientated reinsurer, valuing long-term partnerships with its clients.”

He added: “Cristina's strategic thinking, dedicated leadership and extensive underwriting experience will make a difference and bring the underwriting capabilities of the Company to the next level.”

Gemmerich commented: “I am thrilled to join VIG Re at a time when the company is aiming to capture the opportunities for profitable growth in the DACH and Nordics region. My commitment is to make this a success story for our business partners and for VIG Re in shaping the future of the industry. I am looking forward to working in VIG Re’s dynamic and open culture, and to jointly drive the development of long-lasting relationships with clients and brokers.”

Ferrari said: “I am very pleased to join VIG Re and to take on the CUO role. I feel honoured to be part of a company that lives the values of partnerships, solutions’ delivery, and performance excellence. Our industry keeps evolving; the pace of innovation and the development of the risk landscape are unprecedented. VIG Re is very well positioned to navigate these times of change, and I’m looking forward to contributing to its underwriting resilience and management of risks.”