QBE Australia has announced enhancements to its directors’ & officers’ insurance product to address increasingly complex risks facing corporate leaders.
The insurer revealed the changes, introducing updated policy wording, expanded coverage options, and a strengthened claims team designed to support boards and executives navigating economic uncertainty and regulatory complexity.
“We’ve enhanced our D&O offering to reflect the evolving needs of today’s corporate leaders,” said Anthony D’Oca, general manager of commercial and people risk at QBE Australia Pacific. “It’s designed to help address emerging risks and support organisations and their business leaders in finding cover that may suit their needs.”
The enhanced product includes loss mitigation cover and expanded subsidiary cover as standard features. Additional coverage benefits now encompass investigation costs, pre-acquisition liability, and global program capabilities.
Customers can access optional coverage at additional cost, including entity employment practices liability and statutory liability with standalone limits. A choice of counsel option allows customers to select their own legal representation, subject to policy conditions.
QBE has introduced a risk management benefit for primary policy customers through its QBE Risk Solutions team. The benefit features online micro-simulation modules designed to build risk awareness among boards and executives, covering emerging topics such as environmental, social and governance obligations.
The company said it has also strengthened its dedicated D&O claims team and legal panel to provide enhanced support.
D’Oca said boards and directors face new challenges, from ESG obligations to cyber and artificial intelligence-driven exposures, which can increase litigation risk.
“With decades of experience in D&O, QBE remains focused on developing solutions that meet today’s challenges and help customers navigate those ahead,” D’Oca said. “This upgrade is backed by deep underwriting expertise and a dedicated claims capability, so customers can rely on QBE for informed guidance and support when it matters most.”
Regulators in the APAC region are tightening expectations for governance and board accountability. In digital asset hubs such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea, authorities have introduced or refined regulatory frameworks that emphasise senior management responsibility for internal controls, oversight, and compliance in fast‑moving sectors such as virtual assets.
In addition, recent industry reporting highlights an uptick in claims against directors, with regulators and courts more frequently upholding claims and increasing litigation exposure. A global survey found that legislative and regulatory changes, ESG issues, and macroeconomic factors are now central considerations influencing underwriting and pricing in the D&O market, while legal actions and regulatory scrutiny have become more pronounced.
Reports from late 2025 also indicate that directors and officers are facing a wider set of exposures linked to geopolitical uncertainty, cyber threats and AI‑related risk governance. Boards can be held liable not only for misjudgements in complex geopolitical environments but also for cyber control failures and inadequate continuity planning, all of which may trigger shareholder lawsuits or regulatory penalties.
Despite these rising exposures, competitive capacity in the APAC D&O insurance market has contributed to downward pressure on premium rates, according to some insurers. Rate erosion has been noted as Asia’s commercial insurance market contracts under competitive conditions, even as the underlying risk profile for directors continues to grow.
Allianz Commercial and others have reported that insolvencies, regulatory enforcement, and evolving legal frameworks remain key drivers of potential D&O claims. Insolvency trends, in particular, can prompt litigation from stakeholders seeking accountability for financial mismanagement or breaches of fiduciary duty.
