Liberty International reshuffles Asia Pacific executive team

Liberty International Insurance has announced changes within its Asia Pacific executive team, with Michael Abdallah named Chief Underwriting Officer for the region, John McCabe promoted to President of Australia, and Vanessa Maher appointed as Chief Operating Officer for APAC.

All three executives will continue to be based in Sydney.

Abdallah will now oversee all underwriting across Liberty’s retail, commercial, and specialty businesses in the region. He will remain Chairman of Australia but will step back from managing the Liberty Specialty Markets business, Liberty said in its announcement.

McCabe has been promoted to President of Australia where he will lead the Liberty Specialty Markets business. He was previously Chief Operating Officer for Asia Pacific and brings over 30 years of experience in insurance and 13 years in public accounting. He has also worked as the global Chief Risk Officer at Liberty Mutual’s Boston head office. McCabe and Abdallah will work closely together during the transition period, Liberty said.

Maher’s new role as Chief Operating Officer for Asia Pacific will see her manage operations across retail, commercial, and specialty. She has held various roles in her 20 years with Liberty, including leadership positions in claims, legal counsel, change management, digital strategy, risk, and governance.

Commenting on the appointments, Matthew Jackson, APAC President of Liberty International Insurance, said, “Mike, John and Vanessa each bring very long tenure and a wealth of experience to Liberty, and we hugely value the exceptional leadership, knowledge and insights that they have consistently brought to this region.”