Gallagher Re has appointed Fabrice Jerlin (pictured above) as chairman for the Middle East and Africa, strengthening its leadership in a region where demand for reinsurance is being driven by economic diversification and infrastructure investment.
Jerlin joins from Swiss Re, where he spent nearly 12 years in leadership positions across the Gulf Cooperation Council and Africa. Most recently, he served as regional manager for property and casualty in the GCC region, a role he held since May 2018.
In that capacity, he was responsible for underwriting property, engineering, casualty, and marine treaty business across Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Yemen.
He also served as director and Pan-African market underwriter at Swiss Re, providing clients across the continent with access to the reinsurer's services.
The appointment is part of a broader push by Gallagher to expand its presence in the Middle East and Africa. The company has launched a new business in the Dubai International Financial Centre to support clients with specialty and facultative reinsurance solutions.
Vyvienne Wade, chairperson of Gallagher Global Broking in Europe, Middle East and Asia, has said the company continues to invest in its EMEA presence, with the DIFC launch intended to "supercharge" its MEA offering.
Gallagher Re has also partnered with Africa Re, the leading pan-African reinsurance company, to strengthen the financial resilience of African countries against climate, crisis, and disaster risks.
The Middle East and Africa region is poised for reinsurance market growth in 2025, driven by diversification efforts and rising demand for risk transfer solutions.
The Middle East reinsurance market was valued at $16.3 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 4.1% through 2033. Africa's reinsurance market, valued at approximately $9 billion, is projected to grow at 4.5% over the same period.
GCC countries continue to reinforce their regulatory frameworks while investing in insurance penetration.
Prior to his most recent tenure at Swiss Re, Jerlin held casualty underwriting roles across multiple regions, including Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan. He began his reinsurance career at SCOR Germany and later worked at Gen Re as a treaty casualty and property underwriter.
Jerlin holds a master's degree in economics and business administration from Université Paris-Est Créteil.
