David Menezes Appointed Chief Risk Officer at Peak Re
Peak Re Insurance Company Limited (“Peak Re” or the “Company”), a Hong Kong-based global reinsurer, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. David Menezes as Chief Risk Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Menezes has been serving as the Deputy Chief Risk Officer at Peak Re since September 2022.
During his tenure as Deputy Chief Risk Officer, Mr. Menezes has been instrumental in upholding Peak Re’s high standards of risk management and oversight. His responsibilities include ensuring regulatory and legal compliance, a comprehensive understanding of risks and exposures, and safeguarding the Company’s financial strength.
Franz-Josef Hahn, CEO of Peak Re, commented: “David has consistently demonstrated exceptional oversight of our Risk, Compliance, and Legal functions. His leadership skills have been pivotal in fostering a risk-oriented culture throughout the company, driving our risk management strategies and maintaining our robust financial health. I am pleased to congratulate David on this well-deserved promotion.”
Mr. Menezes, a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, has been a dedicated member of the Peak Re team since 2016. His active participation in several industry working groups, advising on the implementation of IFRS17 for general insurance and the development of risk-based capital solvency standards, underscores his deep understanding of the reinsurance industry. Mr. Menezes holds a postgraduate degree in Physics from the University of Oxford.
Chenwei-Li appointed Director, Head of Structured Solutions, Life and Health and Co-Head of Life and Health, Peak Re
Peak Re Appoints Sonal Akhaury as Director, Head of Human Resources
Peak Reinsurance Company Limited (“Peak Re”), a Hong Kong-based global reinsurer, announced the appointment of Sonal Akhauryas Director, Head of Human Resources, effective 22 November 2021.
Based in Hong Kong headquarter and directly reporting to Franz Josef Hahn, Chief Executive Officer of Peak Re, Ms. Akhaury is responsible for overseeing and implementing all human resources strategies at Peak Re and all of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, branches and representative office. She will lead a dedicated team of HR professionals to achieve key strategic goals, including talent management and strengthening organizational capabilities. Additionally, Ms. Akhaury will play an essential role in shaping corporate culture, in particular, Peak Re’s shared values of client centricity, business agility and global mindset across the company.
Franz Josef Hahn, Chief Executive Officer of Peak Re, said, “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Sonal as the new Director, Head of Human Resources of Peak Re. She brings with her a wealth of international experience of attracting and retaining top-talent in the financial services industry, including a focus on driving and implementing people strategy for the function. We are excited to have Sonal on board and we look forward to working closely with her.”
Ms. Akhaury is a senior leader in the financial industry with more than 18 years of international experience in consulting, advisory and strategic HR business partnering in UK, Europe and India. Prior to joining Peak Re, she was the Head of HR Business Partnering Chief Operating Officer at the Santander UK and held senior HR roles at HSBC, Citigroup and the international law firm, Simmons & Simmons, before relocating to Hong Kong.
Peak Re appoints Karlheinz Render as Senior Vice President Europe for its Subsidiary in Switzerland
Peak Reinsurance Company AG (“Peak Re AG”), the wholly-owned European subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based global reinsurer, Peak Reinsurance Company Limited (“Peak Re”), announced the appointment of Karlheinz Render as Senior Vice President Europe, effective August 1st, 2021.
Mr. Render will develop Peak Re’s market position in Europe, by leveraging off the foundations established by Peak Re; namely in the Property & Casualty (P&C) markets of the DACH region. Based on his extensive experience in client markets and underwriting in the reinsurance industry, Mr. Render will be responsible for developing and maintaining client relationships in the region by providing tailored solutions to support clients’ growth aspirations. Mr. Render succeeds Emmanuel Thommen, former Senior Vice President at Peak Re AG, who has announced his retirement. Mr. Render will report to Matteo Cussigh, Chief Executive Officer of Peak Re AG. He will be based in Zurich.
Mr. Render will join Peak Re AG from Swiss Re, where he served in various client management and underwriting roles over nearly three decades. Most recently, he led Swiss Re’s large clients division in Germany and was accountable for the inforce and new business development of large German P&C clients. He also served on the leadership team for the Northern, Central and Eastern European P&C markets, with a proven track record in expanding P&C treaty portfolio. Previously, Mr. Render held various responsibilities, including client management and underwriting in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America.
Matteo Cussigh, Chief Executive Officer of Peak Re AG commented, “We are delighted to welcome Mr. Render to join our international client markets team. Expanding Peak Re’s franchise in Europe is a key building block in our global diversification and growth strategy. With his extensive experience in Europe, and Peak Re’s proven international underwriting and analytical capabilities, Mr. Render will contribute to strengthening our client relationships on the ground to support our clients.”
Peak Re Appoints Matteo Cussigh as CEO for Its Subsidiary in Switzerland
Peak Reinsurance Company Limited (“Peak Re”), the Hong Kong-based global reinsurer, announced the appointment of Matteo Cussigh to the role of CEO for its wholly-owned subsidiary Peak Reinsurance AG (“Peak Re AG”), and Head of Marketing & Production, Europe, Peak Re. At the same time, Peak Re announced the retirement of Jacques Burri and Emmanuel Thommen who have been instrumental in the company’s European expansion and the setting up of its Swiss subsidiary.
Mr. Cussigh has been active in the reinsurance industry for over two decades, enjoying an excellent reputation in the European markets. He has extensive experience in both traditional reinsurance and alternative risk solutions. Before joining Peak Re AG in 2020, Mr. Cussigh spent ten years at NewRe, with the latest role as Head of Origination & Analytics, Capital Partners. Previously, Mr. Cussigh worked for Aon and Swiss Re.
Franz Josef Hahn, Chief Executive Officer of Peak Re, said, “We expanded to Europe in 2015 and was licensed to write P&C reinsurance business in 2016, marking our strong commitment to European markets. With our team in Zurich, we increase proximity to our European-based clients, while our experts in Hong Kong provide underwriting and operational support. This model helps us best deliver on our values of strong customer focus and fast claims settlement. Matteo will be responsible for the continued growth of Peak Re’s European portfolio and further strengthen our relationships with our clients in Europe.”
Jacques Burri, the former CEO of Peak Re AG and Head of Marketing & Production in Europe, and Emmanuel Thommen, the former Senior Vice President at Peak Re AG have retired. Both of them continue to support Peak Re with their extensive experience in an advisory capacity.
Mr. Hahn further commented: “Jacques has been key in building Peak Re’s European business since 2015. During his tenure, he and his team have established a strong foundation for our European portfolio and significantly expanded our client reach in this region. On behalf of the entire Peak Re team, I would like to thank Jacques and Emmanuel for their dedication and valuable contributions and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.”