SCOR has announced the appointment of Paula Bourke (pictured above) as CEO of life and health (L&H) Australia and New Zealand, effective immediately.
Bourke brings more than 26 years of experience in the insurance industry, including eight years with SCOR, to her new leadership role.
Bourke’s tenure at SCOR includes serving as deputy CEO for Australia and New Zealand, and global head of proposition and innovation for L&H. In these roles, she focused on underwriting, claims, and developing innovative solutions for the Australian and New Zealand markets.
Prior to that, she held the position of strategic head of underwriting and claims for L&H, a role she held for six years.
Before joining SCOR, Bourke held senior leadership positions at various insurance companies, including Westpac, where she was head of underwriting and claims for L&H, and CommInsure, where she managed executive claims for property and casualty (P&C) and L&H portfolios.
Her earlier career includes roles with AXA, where she was a training manager for L&H, and with the NRMA and GIO, where she gained experience in P&C claims management. Bourke holds an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business.
SCOR said that Bourke’s strong technical expertise and deep understanding of the Australian and New Zealand L&H markets make her well-positioned to lead the ANZ team and contribute to the development of the local insurance market.
Last month, the global reinsurer also announced the signing of an agreement to acquire Altarea SCA’s stake in the retail real estate company M.R.M. SA (MRM), and its intention to launch a simplified public tender offer for the remaining shares.
According to the company, SCOR’s acquisition of Altarea’s stake, representing approximately 15.9% of MRM’s share capital, would increase SCOR’s ownership in MRM to 72.5%.
The transaction could lead to a squeeze-out and subsequent delisting of MRM by the end of 2024, pending clearance from the French financial markets regulator, Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF).
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