Allianz Commercial has announced a series of senior leadership appointments set to take effect from August 1.
The appointments are aimed at supporting its client and broker engagement strategy and aligning regional structures to market dynamics in Benelux and the Nordics.
Elke Vagenende (pictured above, left), currently regional managing director for Benelux and Nordics, has been appointed chief client officer. She will lead Allianz Commercial’s global client management activities while continuing in her regional role until September 1.
Vagenende, a Belgian national, has led the Benelux and Nordics operations since 2023. Her background spans underwriting, broking and risk management, including previous roles at Allianz in the UK and multinational risk leadership positions at BP and Siemens.
Meanwhile, Tom Leonard (pictured above, right) will assume the role of global head of broker management. Both Vagenende and Leonard will be based in London and will form part of the global distribution team led by Jeremy Sharpe.
Leonard, who is currently Global Broker Account Director, will oversee relationships with global, international and key regional brokers. A British national, he has held several leadership roles in underwriting, trading and operations at Allianz UK since joining the company in 2007.
Martin Zschech, global head of industry solutions and client management, will maintain oversight of client initiatives with a sharpened focus on the private equity segment.
These changes follow earlier shifts within the Allianz Commercial executive structure. In late 2024, the company confirmed the appointment of Shanil Williams as chief regions officer for the Americas and Vanessa Maxwell as chief underwriting officer. Maxwell’s remit was also expanded to include global responsibility for cyber insurance.
In parallel, Allianz Commercial will establish the Nordics as a standalone region. From August 1, Margaretha Mo will become regional managing director for Nordics, overseeing teams across Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
Mo has served as country managing director for the Nordics since 2024. A Swedish national with three decades of insurance industry experience, she has held various positions across insurers and brokers in the region, including in executive roles.
Additionally, Vagenende’s responsibilities in Benelux will then transition to Jonathan Poole, who joins Allianz from Chubb.
Poole most recently served as head of mid-market division, UK and Ireland, at Chubb. He brings over 30 years of experience in European corporate insurance markets and will be based in Belgium.
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