Swiss Re Corporate Solutions appoints Head of MENA
Swiss Re Corporate Solutions has appointed Mr Falk Schmaler as Head of Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In his new role, Mr Schmaler will be based in Dubai and responsible for driving the company’s business strategy and market presence in the MENA region.
His latest position was Senior Underwriter in the wholesale energy team in London, a global role in which he served clients and brokers throughout the MENA region.
Mr Schmaler, a German national, has over 18 years of experience in the insurance industry. He joined Swiss Re in 2009 and held several positions in property and energy underwriting in Zurich and London.
Bahrain: bni names new General Manager
Bahrain National Insurance Company (bni), a subsidiary of Bahrain National Holding (BNH), has appointed Mr Masood Bader as its new General Manager, effective January 2017. He will be succeeding Mr Joseph Rizzo, who has decided to go for semi-retirement.
Mr Bader has been part of the bni management team since November 2010. He has more than 20 years of insurance and reinsurance experience. An accounting graduate, he started his career as claim assistant with Arab Insurance Group (ARIG) and worked his way up to executive manager in charge of an international marine and energy portfolio. In the six years prior to joining bni, Mr Bader worked as an insurance and reinsurance broker, first for Arthur J Gallagher Middle East as a Regional Director, and then for Aon Middle East as Vice President.
Bahrain: Trust Re welcomes new Head of Claims
Trust Re has appointed Mr John Matthews as its new Head of Claims, effective January 2017, following the retirement of Mr Kuriyan Oomman, at the end of last year.
Reporting to the Head of Operational Services, Mr Matthews is charged with managing the Claims Team to ensure consistent delivery of services in line with the Company’s strategic direction, and compliance with regulatory and company standards.
Mr Matthews has 33 years of related experience, in and with the London (re)insurance market as a loss adjuster, risk surveyor and within major broking houses and international insurers and reinsurers. He has hands-on experience in major property, energy, construction, power and engineering projects in more than 40 countries. Moreover, he has proven skills in leading teams to realise their full potential.
Prior to joining Trust Re, Mr Matthews was Loss Adjusting & Risk Survey Manager at Matthews Daniel Company, UAE, for seven years where he was responsible for the loss adjusting and risk surveying functions for the UAE, other GCC countries, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Indian sub-continent (including Pakistan) and Africa.
Morocco: Management reshuffle at Saham Assurance
Saham Assurance has appointed Mr Moulay Mhamed Elalamy as the company’s new Chief Executive, following the resignation of its CEO Mehdi Tazi.
In addition, the insurer also named Ms Nadia Fettah Alaoui as Chairman of Saham Assurance and confirmed Mr Mahmoud Oudrhiri and Mr Gilbert Nasarre as Deputy CEOs.
Mr Moulay Mhamed Elalamy is the son of Mr Moulay Hafid Elalamy who is the founder and owner of the Saham Group as well as the Minister of Industry, Trade, & New Technologies.
A graduate of British Columbia University in Vancouver, the younger Mr Elalamy spent some time at the Boston Consulting Group in Paris. He later joined the investment fund Abraaj Group, based between Dubai and Istanbul.
In 2014, he joined Saham Group and Saham Assistance as General Manager before being promoted to General Secretary of Saham Group in October 2015.
All the appointments took effect from 5 January.
Palestine: A new GM for Al-Takaful
Al-Takaful Insurance Co, the country’s sole takaful provider, has named Mr Jamal Awwad as the General Manager of the company starting January 2017.
Mr Awwad joins Al-Takaful from Trust International Insurance Palestine, where he served as Deputy General Manager, Technical Affairs since 2012. He has over 35 years of experience in insurance where he served in various positions in Jordan, Kuwait and Palestine.
Mr Awwad has been a member at the Palestinian Insurance Federation (PIF) and represented the country at the Non-marine Technical Committee of the General Arab Insurance Federation (GAIF).
UAE: DIFC Authority appoints new CFO
Dubai International Financial Centre Authority has appointed Mr Yazan Mohamad Al Nasser as the new Chief Financial Officer, responsible for the formulation and review of key financial controls, business processes and management reporting, and the evaluation of commercial and investment opportunities.
The appointment comes at a key time when DIFC is continuing to expand into new areas and sectors as part of its ambitious 2024 Strategy that will see the Centre triple in size over a 10-year period, and the major delivery of new infrastructure developments, including the lifestyle destination, Gate Avenue at DIFC.
Mr Al Nasser brings more than 30 years of international experience to the role in the fields of finance and audit. Prior to joining DIFC, he worked with Emaar malls PJSC where, as CFO, he was responsible for a wide portfolio of shopping malls and community centres.
In his professional career, Mr Al Nasser also served as senior staff at Majid Al Futtaim’s Internal Audit Department, as well as in the Audit and Oversight Office at the United Nations (UNRWA) in Vienna, Austria.