Willis Re appoints new managing director of EMEA life & health
Willis Re has appointed Mr Franck Pinette as managing director of its EMEA life & health practice.
He brings over 30 years’ experience in life reinsurance, including 11 years as head of Partner Re’s Worldwide life reinsurance unit and most recently eight years as CEO of Guy Carpenter’s European life reinsurance operations.
Mr Pinette is based in London and reports to CEO Tony Melia. In a press statement, Mr Melia said of the appointment, “Franck’s experience and proven expertise will significantly enhance the capabilities of our international life & health practice, which, led by Greg Solomon in Hong Kong and supported by Nigel Sedgwick in London, works in partnership with our market leading Willis Towers Watson life consulting teams.”
NBB chief strategy officer joins executive and advisory boards of Bahrain Fintech Bay
National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has elected its chief strategy officer Yaser Alsharifi to the executive board of Bahrain Fintech Bay (BFB) and chairman of the Advisory Board.
BFB’s advisory board comprises representatives from its 30 founding partners, which include NBB and other regional and international banks and technology companies. Two members of the advisory board are elected by their fellow founding partners each year on a rotational basis to sit on BFB’s executive board, helping to shape the hub’s development including its programmes and events, and opportunities for collaboration and value creation with partners.
Bahrain: Takaful International names acting CEO
Following the retirement of Mr Younis J Al Sayed, general manager Essam M Al Ansari will take on the role of acting CEO of Takaful International. Mr Ansari has 28 years of experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry.
Mr Younis joined the company in 2003 as CEO, leading the organisation to become the third-largest insurer in Bahrain.
AXA Egypt Investment welcomes new CEO
AXA Egypt Investment has appointed Mr Ayman Kandeel as the new CEO effective 1 June. Mr Kandeel has been part of the founding team of AXA in Egypt since 2015 acting as COO. He was instrumental in building the company’s health operations teams – contributing to the overall growth of AXA and its establishment in Egypt.
With nearly two decades of experience in the insurance and finance industry, Mr Kandeel joined AXA Egypt from MetLife Alico, where he served as the COO during his 17-year career with the organisation.
Mr Kandeel succeeds Mr Gilbert Chahine, who is now the CEO of AXA Partners within the AXA Group while remaining an active board member of AXA Egypt.
Jordan: Al-Manara appoints new GM
Al-Manara Insurance Co has named Mr Osama Janineh as general manager, taking over from Mr Fadi Saadeh who stepped down in March.
Mr Janineh is formerly from Arab Jordan Insurance Group where he served as its general manager for over five years. Prior to that he held various managerial positions in the Jordan insurance market, including the deputy general manager of German Arab Insurance Co. He is also a board member at Jordan Insurance Federation.
Saudi Arabia: Moody’s appoints head for new operations
Moody’s Investors Services has appointed Mr Mahmoud Totonji as general manager and head of relationship management for the company’s newly launched operations in Saudi Arabia.
With his knowledge of business in Saudi Arabia and his experience working with diverse issuers, Mr Totonji will be responsible for developing new business relationships and extending existing customer relationships in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries.
The launch of Moody’s operations in the Kingdom reinforces its ongoing commitment to the development of the debt capital market as the Kingdom focuses its efforts to diversify the economy as part of the country’s Vision 2030, said Mr Robert Fauber, president of Moody’s.
Sudan: Senior management movement at UIC
Mr Mohamed Abdin announced his retirement as general manager of United Insurance Co Sudan (UIC) after almost four decades with the company. Mr Abdin helped promote UIC to become one of the top three operators in the Sudanese insurance industry during his tenure.
His deputy Mr Abdel Khalig Abdalla, who joined the company in 1976, has been promoted to general manager. Mr Zuheir Hassan was named the new deputy general manager, in addition to his position as the company’s secretary of the board.
UAE: Coface names new CEO to drive MENA segment
Trade credit insurer Coface has appointed Mr Hassen Bennour as CEO. Based in Dubai, Mr Bennour joins the company’s Mediterranean and Africa region leadership team, where he leads the client experience transformation.
Mr Bennour has held various leadership positions in the insurance and investment, as well as consulting industries for the last 13 years, with his most recent role as the CEO of AXA Green Crescent.
UAE: Watania re-elects founding member to board of directors
National Takaful (Watania) has elected Mr Ali Saeed bin Harmel Al Dhaheri as the chairman of the new board of directors. This is the second time that Mr Al Dhaheri is serving as chairman of the board.
He is also a member of the founding committee and has played an integral part in the formation of Watania.
UAE: AXA Green Crescent Insurance appoints new CEO
Mr Mohamed Seghir has been appointed by the board of AXA Green Crescent Insurance Company (GCIC) as the new CEO, replacing Mr Hassen Bennour who is seeking new opportunities outside the insurance group.
Mr Seghir joins AXA GCIC from Swiss Re in Zurich where he held the role of head of North Africa and life & health Middle East, responsible for relationship management in the MENA region.
He began his career as an actuary at FWU AG in Munich where he was responsible for Western Europe and the Middle East from 2007 until 2010. He then took up the role of actuarial services manager for Munich Re in 2010 before joining Swiss Re as a senior marketing actuary in charge of pricing of the life & health business in MENA, Turkey and Pakistan.