Defne Turkes has been appointed as President and Managing Director of Liberty International Insurance, the international division of Liberty’s Global Risk Solutions (GRS) business, the company announced on Tuesday.
The appointment will take effect on 1 July 2026, with Turkes reporting to GRS President Matthew Moore.
In her new role, Turkes “will lead strategic growth across commercial insurance internationally as well as retail markets in Asia.”
Turkes has served as Chief Operating Officer of Liberty International Insurance since 2024 and has held a number of senior leadership roles across Asia, including leading the company’s retail insurance business in the region since joining in 2006.
She succeeds Phil Hobbs, who has transitioned to the role of president of underwriting within the GRS division.
“Defne brings a formidable combination of skills and deep international insurance expertise,” Moore said. “She has a proven ability to deliver operational platforms across multi-jurisdictional environments and strong commercial experience running multi-country businesses.”
The appointment follows Liberty International Insurance completing consolidation of its general insurance licences across parts of Asia-Pacific in April. The insurer will trade under the “Liberty” brand in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia.
Earlier, Liberty Insurance named Cynthia Sze as Chief Executive Officer of its combined Hong Kong unit.
