Zurich names new Nordics CEO to capture new markets and growth

Zurich Insurance Group has appointed Dirk De Nil as chief executive officer (CEO) for the Nordics region where it looks to further strengthen and grow its existing business and explore new market opportunities.

Zurich said the Nordics, comprising Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, represents an important business to the group, where it supports local companies in managing their risks as well as servicing international customers that operate in the region.

De Nil will assume the new role in addition to his current role as CEO Benelux, expanding his management responsibility in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

He succeeds David Haak, who will take on the role of strategic advisor to the EMEA leadership team. He will leverage his experience and relationships with customers and brokers to help strengthen and grow the existing business and explore new market opportunities.

Haak joined Zurich in Sweden in 2004 and later rejoined the company in 2010 as country manager Sweden. He became CEO of Nordics in 2013.

De Nil first joined Zurich in 2008 in Hong Kong as chief operating officer for the Asia Pacific region. He went on to become head of operations, property & casualty and later head of sales and distribution, property & casualty, before moving to Morocco in 2014. He has been the CEO of Benelux since February 2018.

De Nil will continue to report to both James Shea, CEO for commercial insurance, and Neil Freshwater, CEO of Zurich Insurance, its main legal entity for writing non-life insurance business in Europe, based in Ireland. Haak will report to De Nil and continue reporting to Freshwater.

"De Nil is a well-known and respected professional with a proven track record across several continents. With his broad range of experience, market knowledge and history within Zurich he is well-positioned to lead our business in the Nordics countries and take us to the next level," the company said in a statement.

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