Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) announced that Alison Martin will join the Group on October 1, 2017 and assume the role of Group Chief Risk Officer in January 2018. She will succeed Cecilia Reyes, Zurich’s current Group Chief Risk Officer, who will retire from Zurich in the first quarter of 2018.
Ms Martin is a proven business leader with a record of meaningful impact, as reflected in her extensive management, financial and commercial experience within the insurance sector. She joins Zurich from Swiss Re, where she was Head of Life & Health Business Management, a role she has held for four years. In her 14 years at Swiss Re, Ms Martin has held a series of senior management positions focused on transformation, commercial business and value creation, including as Head of the Life & Health Products division and as CFO of Swiss Re Life & Health. A qualified accountant, Ms Martin spent eight years in audit and advisory roles at PwC, with a focus on insurance. She earned an LLB Honors degree in Law from the University of Birmingham. In 1998 she qualified with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales as an Associate of the Institute and in 2010 she completed the Chartered Financial Analyst IMC.
Mario Greco, Group Chief Executive Officer said: “Alison represents an impressive blend of business results orientation, financial expertise and people skills. She’s demonstrated that she can grow businesses based on a deep understanding of market dynamics, risk balancing and capital management, and is precisely the type of high-energy executive we were seeking to build on Cecilia’s accomplishments. I look forward to welcoming her to our Executive Committee.
“In her over 16 years with Zurich, Cecilia has made a significant contribution in senior risk, finance and investment roles. In her current position she has successfully managed risks across the Group and, by doing so, has created real opportunities for Zurich to flourish. On behalf of the Board, the Executive Committee and all Zurich employees, I applaud Cecilia for the positive impact she has made on Zurich, and thank her for her commitment to ensuring a smooth transition.”
Ms Martin will join Zurich’s Executive Committee on October 1, 2017 as Group Chief Risk Officer-Designate, and will work closely with Ms Reyes before assuming the Group Chief Risk Officer role on January 1, 2018. The appointment is subject to regulatory approval.