Zurich Insurance Group has appointed Penny Seach (pictured) as chief underwriting officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa business. She begins in her new role on March 01.
Seach will report to Sierra Signorelli, group chief underwriting officer, and Alison Martin, CEO of EMEA and bank distribution, a statement from Zurich said. She will be based in Zurich, Switzerland.
“EMEA is a critical region for our business and to Zurich’s overall success, and I am very pleased to welcome Penny to the team,” said Signorelli. “She is a passionate leader and brings extensive operational and business line experience to the role. I am confident that she will be a strong partner to the local underwriting teams while helping us further develop and implement our strategy and deliver the best solutions for our customers’ individual needs.”
As chief underwriting officer, Seach will oversee the entirety of the underwriting function in the region, in alignment with Zurich’s global strategy and governance. She will also focus on driving various underwriting initiatives, such as policy wording updates and the rollout of new platforms as well as enhanced data and analytics tools for Zurich’s underwriting community, working closely with the countries’ local teams.
Seach has more than 25 years of insurance industry experience with various multinational insurance companies, having led large diverse teams across geographies and disciplines. She joined Zurich in 2017 and most recently served as CEO of general insurance, Zurich Hong Kong. She holds a bachelor of commerce degree in law from the University of South Africa.
