Reinsurance Group of America (RGA) has announced the appointment of Dr. Nico van Zyl (pictured above) as senior vice president and chief medical director for its US individual life operations.
The company confirmed that Dr. van Zyl began his new role this month and will serve in a remote capacity from the United States.
Dr. van Zyl brings more than two decades of experience to RGA, with a background that spans clinical medicine, health informatics, reinsurance, and medical leadership. His career includes nearly 14 years at Hannover Re, where he most recently held the position of chief medical director and vice president from January 2020 until his departure this month.
Prior to that, he served as medical director at the firm beginning in 2017 and as chief medical officer in Johannesburg from 2011 to 2016.
In addition to his reinsurance roles, Dr. van Zyl holds academic credentials in both medicine and health informatics. He earned a bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery (MBBS) from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1995, and later completed a master of science in health informatics from University College London in 2010.
Dr. van Zyl’s appointment follows a series of leadership changes at RGA this year. In May, the company named My Chi To as executive vice president and chief legal officer, succeeding longtime executive Bill Hutton.
To joined RGA from Voya Financial and previously held senior regulatory roles at the New York State Department of Financial Services.
In the same quarter, RGA also promoted Alissa Holz to chief executive officer of RGA Australia and New Zealand, effective April. Holz’s appointment highlights the firm’s continued strategic focus on the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in aligning leadership with growth objectives in mature and emerging reinsurance markets.
Outside of its appointments, the reinsurance group also recently announced its Leaders of Tomorrow Class of 2025, a group of emerging insurance professionals selected from various global markets.
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