SEADRIF appoints Benedikt Signer as Executive Director and Board member

SEADRIF has appointed Benedikt Signer as Executive Director and Board Member, effective as of July 24, the company announced in a company statement on LinkedIn.

Signer has been involved with the risk facility since March 2023 and has been acting as an Advisor to the Board in the areas of strategy, organisational and product development, partner and country engagement, public-private partnerships, and operational management, SEADRIF said.

In his new role, Signer will report to Dr. Yoshihiro Kawai, Board Chair of the SEADRIF Insurance Company. He will oversee progress towards strategic growth, performance, and financial health, while ensuring adherence to good governance practices.

“Benedikt exhibited exemplary performance at SEADRIF and has been instrumental in building the Company’s growth trajectory.” Dr. Kawai said. “I am delighted to welcome Benedikt as a core member of the leadership team. We look forward to continuing SEADRIF’s mission of strengthening the financial resilience of our member countries in the ASEAN region.”

Before joining SEADRIF, Signer worked at the World Bank’s Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Program. With over a decade there, he supported more than 20 countries in actively managing potential losses from climate and disaster shocks.

In his last role as Program Coordinator for Crisis and Disaster Risk Finance, he coordinated this work across Southeast Asia. He was closely involved in creating and implementing multiple global initiatives, including co-leading the Global Risk Financing Facility (GRiF) and supporting the design of the G7-V20 Global Shield against Climate Risks, SEADRIF said.

Before that, Signer worked at the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) on strategy, program development, and policy partnerships.