Zurich Insurance has appointed Paolo Mantero (pictured above) as group head of reinsurance. Mantero assumed the role in January 2026 after serving as the company's chief strategy officer since January 2022.
Mantero has spent nearly a decade at Zurich, having joined the company in March 2016. His tenure includes roles as global CFO for commercial insurance from January 2018 to January 2022 and head of the group CEO office from March 2016 to December 2017.
Before joining Zurich, Mantero held positions at Assicurazioni Generali. He served as strategic assistant to the group CEO from January 2015 to February 2016 and as head of strategic projects steering unit from October 2013 to December 2014.
Mantero's earlier career included roles in private equity and consulting. He worked as an associate at HgCapital from January 2012 to September 2013, focusing on portfolio management.
He also served as an associate at Investitori Associati from September 2009 to January 2012. Prior to that, he held a team manager position in investments at Jupiter Finance from July 2007 to September 2009.
Mantero began his career as a business analyst at McKinsey from November 2003 to October 2005. He also worked as a research assistant at the University of Genoa from January to October 2003.
Mantero holds an MBA in business administration with a focus on finance from Columbia Business School, which he completed in 2007. He also earned a master's degree in telecommunications engineering from the University of Genoa in 2003.
The appointment is part of a broader series of leadership and structural changes across Zurich. In December 2025, Zurich UK appointed Paul Norcott as UK operations director, elevating the operations function to executive committee level.
Over the past year, Zurich has made targeted investments in technology, governance, and customer operations, alongside senior appointments designed to strengthen risk management and execution across underwriting, claims, and distribution.
