Insurers, intermediaries, and insurance research bodies have announced a series of senior appointments across Asia.
Manulife and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) have named Suresh Agarwal (pictured) as managing director and CEO designate of their proposed 50:50 life insurance joint venture in India, subject to regulatory approvals, with effect from May 1. Agarwal joined the Mahindra Group in September 2025 as managing director and chief executive officer of Mahindra Insurance Brokers Limited. He will leave that role on April 30. Over nearly 30 years, his career has spanned life and general insurance, as well as corporate and retail lending. He spent a significant period building Kotak’s life insurance operations and later oversaw Kotak General Insurance’s transition into a joint venture with Zurich Insurance.
The Manulife-Mahindra joint venture plans to offer savings and protection products linked to India’s “Insurance for All” 2047 agenda, combining Manulife’s agency, product, and underwriting capabilities in urban markets with Mahindra’s distribution network in rural and semi-urban areas. “India represents one of the most compelling long‑term opportunities in global life insurance, and we’ve been intentional in choosing the right moment – and the right partner – for our entry. Together with Mahindra, we aim to become the number one choice for customers by being digital‑first, focused on their needs, and tailoring solutions to diverse protection priorities,” Harshal Shah, chief marketing officer, Asia, Manulife, and Manulife principal officer of the proposed joint venture, said. Puneet Renjhen, executive vice president and member of the group executive board at Mahindra Group, said the move extends Mahindra’s financial services offering, noting that “life insurance is a critical pillar in India’s journey towards deeper financial security and inclusion.”
QBE has appointed Carles Tondo as head of property for Asia, based in Singapore and reporting to South Asia CEO Stephen Geisler. The appointment is effective immediately. Tondo will oversee QBE Asia’s property portfolio, including product strategy, pricing, portfolio management, and legal and regulatory compliance for property classes. He will also coordinate performance across designated business lines and work with stakeholders in the region on portfolio performance, including growth and profitability targets.
Tondo brings more than 17 years of insurance industry experience, with a property underwriting background across Spain, Switzerland, and Malaysia. Before joining QBE, he served as head of property and technical lines for Singapore at another insurer. “We are delighted to welcome Carles as our new head of property for Asia. I am confident that his extensive international exposure and leadership experience will be instrumental in helping QBE deliver exceptional value to our property clients, as they navigate increasingly complex risks,” Geisler said.
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Tondo takes over responsibility for the property portfolio from Brendan Dunlea, regional head of construction and engineering at QBE Asia, who will continue to lead the construction, engineering, renewables, and power generation businesses and to develop QBE Asia’s resilience vertical. “As the momentum of property development accelerates across Asia, it is now more important than ever that resiliency is at the forefront of our clients’ priorities. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to combine our technical underwriting expertise and global experiences to deliver bespoke solutions for our property clients fit for the future,” Tondo said.
The Korea Insurance Research Institute (KIRI) has named Soonchunhyang University professor Kim Heonsoo as its seventh president. He was elected at the institute’s general meeting of members and will serve a three-year term from March 1, 2026, to Feb. 28, 2029. Kim earned a degree in business administration from Pusan National University and holds a Master of Science in risk management and insurance and a PhD in business administration with an insurance concentration from Georgia State University in the United States.
According to The Asia Business Daily’s report, Kim has been a professor in the Department of IT Finance at Soonchunhyang University, where he also served as dean of the College of Global Business and chair of the Department of Finance and Insurance. His professional roles include serving as president of the Korean Insurance Academic Society, the Korean Risk Management Society, and the Asia-Pacific Risk and Insurance Association. Kim has also worked in advisory positions with government and regulators. Since the start of the Lee Jaemyung administration, he has served as advisor to the First Economic Subcommittee of the Presidential Commission on National Agenda. He has chaired the Insurance Subcommittee of the Financial Supervisory Advisory Committee at the Financial Supervisory Service, been an ombudsman committee member, and led a task force on supervisory innovation in the insurance industry.
Marine mutual insurer the Britannia Group has appointed David Roberts as regional head of Asia, effective Feb. 23. Based in Singapore, Roberts is responsible for the group’s offices and operations across Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, and for service to members in the region. Roberts joins Britannia from NorthStandard, where he was head of Asia-Pacific. He spent more than 30 years with NorthStandard and has been based in Singapore since 2013, following earlier roles in London, Athens and New York.
Asia accounts for 43% of Britannia’s owned tonnage. Roberts will manage the regional hub structure and focus on the group’s position in Asian shipping markets. “We are delighted that David has joined the Britannia Group with his wealth of experience and knowledge in the region. David’s appointment reflects the strategic importance of the Asian market to the Britannia Group and our ongoing commitment to provide our Members throughout the region with exceptional service,” Mike Hall, CEO of the Britannia Group, said. Roberts commented: “I am very pleased to be joining the Britannia Group, a club with a strong heritage and an outstanding reputation in Asia. My focus will be on providing service excellence across the region and supporting members in an increasingly complex shipping landscape, while helping position the Club to take advantage of the opportunities presented by Asia’s continued growth.”
Lockton has appointed Isaac Benjamin Fuente as head of aviation, regional transportation – Asia, effective Feb. 23. He is based in Singapore and reports to Sung Wook Han, head of marine and transportation – Asia. Fuente is responsible for expanding Lockton’s aviation capabilities in Singapore and setting the strategic direction for aviation within the regional transportation portfolio. His duties include portfolio development, building a regional aviation team, and supporting aviation-related clients such as airlines, lessors, airports, maintenance, repair and overhaul providers, aerospace manufacturers, and other sector participants with risk advisory and insurance solutions.
Fuente has more than eight years of experience in the London and Asia aviation insurance markets, with technical expertise across general aviation, aerospace, airlines, loss of license, and aviation specialty risks. He joins Lockton from Howden Specialty in Singapore. “Isaac’s appointment reflects Lockton’s commitment to investing in specialist expertise for our clients across Asia’s fast evolving aviation sector. His strong technical foundations, market relationships, and genuine passion for aviation make him a tremendous fit for our team. We are excited for him to lead the next phase of our aviation growth journey in the region,” Han said.
