Zurich appoints Sean Walker Liam Burrell and Reginald Peacock in key leadership roles

• Sean Walker will lead Zurich’s Asia Pacific Commercial Insurance business as Head of Commercial Insurance & Chief Technical Officer, APAC
• Liam Burrell to join Zurich as Head of Commercial Insurance, Asia and CEO, Singapore
• Reginald Peacock appointed Head of Marketing Development, Zurich Resilience Solutions

SINGAPORE, 12 July 2023 – Zurich Insurance Group (“Zurich”) has announced key leadership appointments for its Asia Pacific Commercial Insurance business to strengthen regional go-to-market capabilities and drive expansion in key Asian markets. Sean Walker has been appointed Head of Commercial Insurance & Chief Technical Officer, APAC, Liam Burrell will join Zurich as Head of Commercial Insurance, Asia, and Reginald Peacock has been appointed Head of Marketing Development for Zurich Resilience Solutions.

The newly appointed team will bring Zurich’s comprehensive risk management offerings and unrivalled network in Commercial Insurance to clients in the region, driving the effective regional and local delivery of Zurich’s global capabilities.

Ms. Tulsi Naidu, APAC CEO of Zurich Insurance Group said: "We are investing substantially in strengthening our leadership team to drive growth and position ourselves as a partner of choice for Commercial Insurance in the region, reflecting our global leadership position. These changes are an important part of the next stage of development for our P&C business in Asia Pacific, complementing our existing strong retail positions.”

Mr. Walker will spearhead the development of the regional Commercial unit as Head of Commercial Insurance & Chief Technical Officer, APAC. Mr. Walker brings more than 25 years of diverse industry experience having held a variety of market-facing, underwriting, leadership, and broker roles during his insurance career. He joined Zurich in 2010, taking on several senior roles within the business in Underwriting, Claims, Distribution and Partnerships, and was most recently Head of General Insurance, Australia and New Zealand. Separately, Zurich Australia has announced that Alex Morgan will succeed Mr. Walker as Head of General Insurance, Australia and New Zealand, subject to local fit and proper requirements. Mr. Morgan has been with Zurich since 2012 and was most recently Chief Risk Officer for Asia Pacific.

Mr. Burrell will join Zurich as the Head of Commercial Insurance Asia and CEO, Singapore, subject to regulatory approvals. Mr. Burrell joins Zurich from AIG where he was most recently Head of Client & Broker Engagement, APAC, responsible for developing and executing on the company’s distribution strategies and fostering relationships with partners and clients. Prior to joining AIG, he was Division Head of Property & Casualty in Singapore for Chubb, during which he held full responsibility for all aspects of the company’s underwriting operations across the CI P&C lines of business. With over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Mr. Burrell brings with him extensive market-leading expertise in underwriting and distribution, as well as a solid track record of developing high-performing teams and long-term customer relationships.

Mr. Peacock has been appointed Head of Market Development for Zurich Resilience Solutions, with a specific focus on strengthening the presence and distribution of this offering in Asia Pacific. Providing tailored risk prevention and mitigation solutions based on relevant data, tools, and insights, Zurich Resilience Solutions was created in 2021 to meet growing demand from businesses looking to improve their risk profile and optimize risk management. Mr. Peacock brings more than 35 years of insurance experience to the role, a deep understanding of the Asia Pacific market, and a proven history of building successful businesses.

Ms. Sierra Signorelli, CEO of Commercial Insurance, Zurich Insurance Group said: “We are pleased to bring together the collective experience and strategic capabilities of the new leadership team as we accelerate the delivery of our Commercial Insurance ambition in the APAC region. I look forward to working with the team as we deepen our relationships in the market and deliver the full breadth of Zurich’s capabilities.”

In Asia Pacific, Zurich operates multi-line businesses in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore, and is a market-leader in the Motor, Accident & Health, and Travel lines. Reflecting the growth opportunities and strategic attractiveness of the Asia Pacific region, the regional Zurich business has continued to show strong momentum, building scale, delivering solid year-on-year premium growth, and producing robust earnings.

For further information, please contact: 

Bhavna Hemlani 
Communications Partner, APAC, Zurich Insurance Group
bhavna.hemlani@hk.zurich.com