The Insurance Development Forum (IDF) has announced the appointment of Michael M. Lies as its next Steering Committee chair. He succeeds Denis Duverne in the role. The IDF is a public/private partnership led by the insurance industry. Its members include the United Nations, the World Bank and other international organizations.
“The IDF has made an outstanding policy and operational impact in recent years, delivering the first three country programs under the Tripartite Agreement, as well as significant mobilization of new resources in support of the climate and disaster risk financing agenda,” Lies said. “This is due in no small part to the Steering Committee under the leadership of Denis Duverne and to the IDF’s working groups, our fast-growing membership, and our partners and supporters.”
Lies said that while some countries have increased their resilience to climate change, “the urgency of the climate crisis calls for much greater speed.”
“This creates a critical role for advocacy about the importance of risk management and insurance in supporting development,” he said. “In addition, the need for effective cross-sector collaboration to deliver meaningful change has never been more important, and this must be a key priority in the immediate term.”
Lies said it was “an honor and a privilege” to lead the IDF Steering Committee alongside co-chairs Achim Steiner and Hiroshi Matano.
“We are on a journey – including extending partnerships, accelerating our operational program and mobilizing new resources in support of the climate and disaster risk financing agenda – and I am confident that the IDF will remain a key institution for bringing about systemic change,” he said.
