HDI Global reveals board additions – big name departs

HDI Global SE has announced significant changes to its board of management, effective April 1, 2024, with the appointments of Dr Barbara Klimaszewski-Blettner and Dr Dirk Höring in key leadership roles, and the exit of one notable figure.

Klimaszewski-Blettner will oversee the company’s operations in Germany and global claims management, while Höring will serve as chief underwriting officer for the property, engineering, and marine portfolios, in addition to leading HDI Risk Consulting.

Currently serving as managing director responsible for the German business, Klimaszewski-Blettner’s previous experience includes various management roles at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty and the Allianz Group.

Höring, meanwhile, currently heads international programs at HDI Global, overseeing approximately 5,000 international programs. His prior responsibilities included as divisional head for pricing, analytics, and global portfolio management.

Höring also plays a key role in the HDI Global Network AG as a member of the executive board, overseeing finance, reinsurance accounting, asset & liquidity management, and risk management, and has served as a non-executive board director of HDI Global Insurance Company in the US.

Prior to this, his professional journey included a consultancy stint at McKinsey until 2014.

Two enter – one exits

The company also announced the departure of Claire McDonald (pictured) from the company. Torsten Leue, chairman of Talanx AG’s board of management and supervisory board chairman at HDI Global SE, expressed gratitude for McDonald’s contributions to HDI Global’s portfolio performance and international expansion, wishing her success in future endeavors.

“I am delighted that we have identified strong leaders from within our own company in Barbara Klimaszewski-Blettner and Dirk Höring. They are both highly experienced and will continue to drive our cultural transformation,” Leue said.

Dr Edgar Puls, responsible for industrial lines on the Talanx Group’s board of management and chairman of the board of management of HDI Global SE, also acknowledged McDonald’s contributions and welcomed the two new additions.

“I am very much looking forward to working with Barbara Klimaszewski-Blettner and Dirk Höring,” Puls said. “I know both of them very well from working together over the past few years. They will continue to develop and execute our strategy and shape our cultural transformation as role models.”

Following these appointments, HDI Global SE’s board of management will include the following:

• Dr Edgar Puls (CEO)
• Ralph Beutter (Specialty)
• Dr Mukadder Erdönmez (third-party liability, cyber insurance, motor)
• Dr Christian Hermelingmeier (CFO)
• Dr Dirk Höring (property insurance, engineering insurance, marine insurance, HDI Risk Consulting)
• David Hullin (region Europe [without Germany], Americas, Asean, South Africa and Middle East)
• Dr Barbara Klimaszewski-Blettner (claims management / region Germany)
• Dr Thomas Kuhnt (COO, IT, and group accident)

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