SEADRIF Insurance Company has appointed Ayumi Kato to support donor engagement and oversee programme management for its Sovereign Asset and Fiscal Empowerment (SEADRIF-SAFE) facility, the organisation announced on LinkedIn.
Kato joins SEADRIF with more than five years’ experience in programme management and policy coordination across Japan and Singapore, where she worked on international collaboration initiatives spanning East and Southeast Asia.
In her new role, Kato’s remit will include advancing the work of the SEADRIF-SAFE Task Force, an initiative across Southeast Asia charged with integrating disaster insurance into development projects in the region.
She will be responsible for strengthening SEADRIF’s engagement with donors and for overseeing the portfolio of activities aimed at embedding disaster risk financing and insurance solutions into public asset planning to enhance fiscal resilience to climate and disaster shocks, the organisation said.
“I was drawn to SEADRIF because it brings together governments and partners to strengthen financial resilience to climate and disaster risks in a practical way,” said Kato.
Prior to the appointment, Kato operated at the intersection of climate, energy and science policy, helping governments and partners convert policy commitments into operational programmes.
Her previous roles include Science & Innovation Officer at the British Embassy in Tokyo and Science, Innovation & Technology Adviser at the British High Commission in Singapore, where she engaged closely with policymakers and regional partners.
SEADRIF has been expanding its governance and operational capacity amid rising demand for disaster risk financing in Southeast Asia.
Earlier this month, the organisation appointed Gillian Caparas as operations specialist to support core operational coordination across its expanding portfolio.
Her hire follows broader governance changes, including the addition of international lawyer Mei Fern Johnson and former Singapore regulator Dr Leow Yung Khee to its board of directors, as the facility seeks to deepen expertise in insurance and regulatory strategy.
The move comes after Munich Re released its 2025 Natural Catastrophe report yesterday, which showed that only around 12.3% of Asia Pacific’s 2025 economic losses were covered by insurance, underscoring the significant protection gap in the region.
