QBE has made two senior appointments to its Asia executive team, with Stephen Geisler named as Chief Executive Officer of South Asia and Ross Bethell appointed as Head of Partnerships, the insurer announced on Tuesday, August 26.
Both executives will be based in Singapore and report to Rob Kosova, CEO of QBE Asia.
Geisler will take up his role from September 23, moving from QBE’s Australian headquarters where he has worked for over 35 years across multiple functions with experience in global and Asian markets underwriting. He will succeed Ronak Shah, who currently serves as CEO of QBE Singapore and was recently appointed as CEO of Wholesale Markets Asia.
In his new Singapore-based position, Geisler will lead QBE Singapore directly and provide oversight for QBE Malaysia. His responsibilities will include driving business strategy and leading sustainable business growth, including management of local underwriting teams.
Bethell will start as Head of Partnerships from September 1, bringing over two decades of industry experience to the role. He joins from Marsh, where he most recently served as Chief Client Officer of South Asia. In his new position, he will oversee strategic direction and management of QBE’s international broker channels, while building relationships with key partners in strategic markets and working with local broker teams to drive regional growth.
“We are delighted and privileged to have both Stephen and Ross join us at this crucial time, when the Asia business is seeing a positive transformation as we consolidate our efforts in the wholesale markets and drive further business growth across our entire Asia business,” said Kosova.
“Both bring with them dedication, passion and important experience across the insurance and reinsurance spectrum – and I look forward to them contributing to our continued efforts in the region,” he added.
The leadership changes come as QBE continues its regional expansion strategy, building on Shah’s appointment as CEO of Wholesale Markets Asia in February, the insurer’s recent digital partnerships including its bancassurance arrangement with Mox Bank in Hong Kong and strong financial performance with a 27% profit jump to US$1.02bn in its latest half-year results.
