Allianz Trade in Asia-Pacific has named Tetsushi Kitano (pictured) as country manager for its Thailand operations, effective Sept. 1.
He will lead the insurer’s local team while continuing to oversee the ASEAN Japan Desk.
Kitano has worked with Allianz Trade for more than 17 years across Japan and Hong Kong.
He began his career in Tokyo in 2008 as a commercial underwriter before moving to Hong Kong in 2012 to take up roles in business development and leadership of the Japan Desk.
He later returned to Japan in 2017 as commercial director and rejoined Hong Kong in 2019 as regional head of the Japan Desk, serving Japanese firms with regional credit insurance needs.
He holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Chuo University.
Domenico Lup, chief executive officer of Allianz Trade in ASEAN, said Kitano’s experience would strengthen the company’s position in Thailand.
“Kitano’s strong understanding of the credit insurance product and customer needs, combined with his extensive experience and exposure, makes him an invaluable asset for our team. I am confident that his appointment will further strengthen our regional presence and drive continued success for our business in Thailand. At the same time, he will continue to lead the Japan Desk in ASEAN, ensuring effective collaboration and fostering growth,” he said.
Kitano said he looked forward to taking on the role, being able to work with the local team and the company’s business partners.
“I am excited to take on this new role of country manager and be able to work with our fantastic local team as well as our valued and strong business partners. I am also grateful for the Allianz Trade management team for allowing me to continue to grow my career in the next destination, Thailand the Land of Smiles. This opportunity will be a positive challenge for me as I commit to delivering best in class services to our local customers en route to achieving sustainable and profitable growth for our portfolio,” he said.
The appointment follows Allianz’s release of its second-quarter and half-year results.
The group reported an operating profit of €4.4 billion for the second quarter of 2025, up 12.2% from a year earlier. This accounts for 28% of the midpoint of its full-year outlook.
Total business volume grew 8% to €44.5 billion across all segments.
Shareholders’ core net income for the quarter rose 17.3% year-on-year to €3.0 billion. Excluding a €0.3 billion disposal gain from the UniCredit joint venture, the increase was 7.1%.
For the first half of 2025, Allianz recorded €8.6 billion in operating profit, up 9.3% from the prior year and representing 54% of the company’s full-year outlook midpoint.
Core net income for the half rose 9.5% to €5.5 billion. Adjusted for one-off items, this equated to a 6.2% increase.
