Munich Re has named Walter Voigts-von Forster (pictured above) as chief executive officer of its Africa branch, effective Feb. 1, 2026, pending regulatory approval.
Voigts-von Forster will retain his current role as head of non-life for Munich Re Africa while assuming the CEO position. He will report to Roland Eckl, chief executive for Munich Re Australasia, Greater China, MENA, and Africa.
Voigts-von Forster brings more than 18 years of reinsurance experience to the role. He joined Munich Re in 2007 and has held several positions, including head of aviation treaty in Munich. In 2022, he was appointed head of non-life for Munich Re Africa. He holds a diploma in mathematics from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, earned in 2004.
Voigts-von Forster will succeed Nico Conradie, who is set to retire at the end of January 2026. Conradie has led Munich Re’s Africa business as CEO since 2016 and has been with the company for 23 years. Munich Re acknowledged Conradie’s tenure and leadership during this period.
Eckl commented on the transition, stating, “We are proud to be present in Africa for 57 years and we are committed to working with our clients here to create best-in-class reinsurance solutions.”
He noted Conradie’s role in establishing Munich Re as a leading international player in the African market and expressed appreciation for his contributions as CEO over the past decade. Eckl added that Voigts-von Forster’s expertise and understanding of African markets and clients would support the company’s continued growth in the region.
“Under my leadership, Munich Re will continue to be a stable reinsurer that can be relied upon,” Voigts-von Forster said. He also highlighted the role of the company’s employees across sub-Saharan Africa in delivering reinsurance solutions to clients.
In recent financial developments, Munich Re posted a net result of €2.1 billion for the second quarter of 2025, bringing its half-year profit to €3.2 billion.
For the first half of the year, insurance revenue rose to €30.6 billion, and the company’s operating result for the quarter reached €2.9 billion. The annualized return on equity climbed to 25.5% in the second quarter, reflecting robust profitability across segments.
The company has also reaffirmed its full-year net profit target of €6 billion for 2025. However, Munich Re revised its group-wide insurance revenue guidance to €62 billion, down from an earlier forecast of €64 billion, citing updated business volumes and currency effects.
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