The Singapore Reinsurers’ Association (SRA) has tapped PartnerRe's James Beedle (pictured above) as its new chair, elevating the longtime deputy to lead a trade body at the center of Asia's largest Singapore reinsurance hub – a market where premiums surged 31% in a single year to SG$27.6 billion in 2023.
James Beedle, who has served as CEO Asia Pacific at PartnerRe since January 2017, steps up from his role as SRA deputy chair, succeeding Kenrick Law, regional CEO at Allianz SE Reinsurance Branch Asia-Pacific.
Law had himself taken over in November 2024 from Marc Haushofer of Validus Reinsurance, who chaired the SRA for multiple terms dating back to at least 2017.
The SRA described the appointment as a continuation of its mission as a platform for engagement and knowledge exchange.
"We look forward to working closely with James as he leads the association forward and further strengthens SRA's impact within the industry," the association said.
Beedle began his reinsurance career in London as a broker at Willis Faber and Dumas in 1990 before relocating to Sydney, where he spent close to 18 years at Willis Reinsurance Australia.
He later held CEO and COO roles at Willis Re Japan and served as senior managing director at Willis Re Asia before joining PartnerRe. He holds a degree in economics from the University of York.
The leadership change comes at a consequential moment for Singapore reinsurance. Asia accounts for an estimated 40% of the world's natural disasters, with roughly 82.8% of the region's nat cat losses still uninsured.
The 2025 earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand, wildfires in Japan and South Korea, and extreme monsoonal flooding have underscored the protection gap.
Singapore has positioned itself as the regional answer. Sixteen of the world's top 25 reinsurers have established their Asia-Pacific hub in the city-state, giving it a 24% share of the regional market, former MAS managing director Ravi Menon said at the 2023 SIRC.
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong disclosed at the 2024 conference that premiums accounted for about 21% of Asia's Singapore reinsurance market.
On the capital markets side, Singapore had issued 29 catastrophe bonds as of November 2025, with eight listed on the Singapore Exchange, MAS data shows.
Established in 1979, the SRA represents over 50 member entities licensed by MAS to conduct reinsurance business – spanning reinsurers, direct insurers, brokers, Lloyd's service companies, and related service providers. It also organizes the SIRC, which drew over 3,300 delegates in 2024.
More recently, the SRA collaborated with Singapore authorities on what has been described as the world's first commercial cyber-risk pool, committing up to $1 billion in capacity.
