Swiss Re has elevated Singapore-based Karen Tan as chief underwriting officer of its Life & Health Re (L&H Re) business, as part of two senior leadership changes announced by the reinsurer on Monday.
Tan will take up the role on 1 October 2026 and will initially remain based in Singapore and relocate to Zurich in due course.
Currently serving as chief risk officer of L&H Re, Tan has held several senior positions at Swiss Re, including head of life and health products, Asia and chief risk officer for Asia Pacific.
Before joining Swiss Re, she was chief actuary of Zurich Life Insurance in Switzerland and headed Zurich Insurance Group’s global life risk analysis department. She is a fellow of the UK Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.
The reinsurer has also appointed Damien Bartlett as head of its L&H Re UK, Ireland, Middle East and Africa market unit, effective 1 November 2026.
Bartlett will succeed Tamas Bown, who took over the role of head of Swiss Re’s Asia Pacific ex China market unit in April.
The appointments follow a strong first half for Swiss Re, which reported a 9% year-on-year increase in net income to US$2.8bn. L&H Re contributed US$1bn to group net income, up 21% from US$865m a year earlier, with Swiss Re attributing the increase to healthy underwriting margins and more favourable experience variance.
The reinsurer has also recently appointed Ben Savill as CEO for Australia & New Zealand, effective 1 October 2026. He will succeed Trent Thomson, who was appointed global head of specialty reinsurance in May.
