Zurich’s group chief risk officer Alison Martin has been appointed chief executive for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and bank distribution.
Martin takes over the role from Amanda Blanc, whose resignation was announced last week after just nine months in the role. According to the Financial Times, Blanc’s departure followed clashes with Zurich group chief executive Mario Greco.
Martin will continue to oversee the group risk management function “for a limited period of time” until a successor is appointed.
Greco said: “Alison is perfectly suited for this role. She is an enthusiastic leader who combines industry expertise with the right mix of customer focus, people management and commercial experience.
“She is a mature leader with a strong international background. I am confident she will successfully expand our capabilities to meet customer needs in the region. She knows our culture, she knows our business and is well suited to take our EMEA business to the next level.”
Martin joined Zurich in October 2017 from Swiss Re, where she was head of life and health business management. She assumed the role of group chief risk officer in January 2018.
