Three insurance industry players have disclosed leadership changes across Asia in the same week, with new roles spanning corporate underwriting in Hong Kong, board-level governance for a pan-Asian life insurer, and brokerage operations in Malaysia.
Andy Tsui (pictured) has taken up a dual appointment at QBE, stepping in as head of underwriting, corporate for Hong Kong and Macau while also taking on the Asia head of people risk position. Both roles took effect June 1, 2026. Tsui is based in Hong Kong and reports to Lei Yu, who serves as chief executive officer for North Asia. On the underwriting side, Tsui carries local underwriting authority across all corporate product lines for Hong Kong and Macau. He will work with the regional chief underwriting officer’s office and individual product heads to manage underwriting performance, operations, and strategy.
The people risk mandate is a newly created function at QBE for Asia. The firm describes it as a combined offering that draws together insurance coverage, risk data, and advisory services, with scope covering workplace injury management, employee compensation, and health-related exposures. Tsui is responsible for developing and executing the proposition across the region. Tsui has worked in the insurance sector for more than 23 years, with experience across underwriting, actuarial work, portfolio management, and leadership roles throughout the Asia-Pacific region, according to QBE.
“Attracting a leader of Andy’s calibre marks an important step forward for our regional underwriting business. He brings a combination of deep technical knowledge, market instincts, and a genuine passion for building high-performance teams. And in people risk, Andy will play a key role in supporting Asian enterprises in navigating increasingly complex workforce risks – building resilience, performance, and sustainable growth. I am confident that Andy will bring fresh energy to the teams and help us unlock new opportunities all round,” Yu said.
“I am delighted to join QBE at such a pivotal time for its Asia growth strategy. The opportunity to lead corporate underwriting for Hong Kong and Macau, while shaping the people risk proposition across the region, is one I am excited about. I look forward to collaborating with the talented teams at QBE to deepen our market presence, drive innovation, and deliver sustainable value for our clients and partners,” Tsui said. Tsui joins a leadership group that already includes Christelle Poh, who was named head of distribution for QBE Hong Kong and Macau in April 2026. Poh’s remit was broadened at that time to cover international and regional brokers alongside local agencies and brokers.
FWD Group Holdings Limited confirmed the appointment of Martin Zingg as a non-executive director on May 29, 2026, with the change taking effect immediately following the company’s annual general meeting that day. Zingg will sit on both the audit and risk committees of the board. The addition brings the total number of FWD Group board members to 14, comprising nine independent non-executive directors, three non-executive directors, and two executive directors.
Zingg’s professional background sits primarily in asset management and corporate development. He currently heads corporate development and strategic investments at Swiss Re at the group level, a role that involves oversight of control transactions, minority equity stakes, and private debt placements. Prior to that position, he spent more than two decades at Swiss Re across investment management and corporate development functions in the US, Europe, and Asia. He also held the role of group chief investment officer at Catlin Group, a specialty and property/casualty insurer and reinsurer, for more than five years. Zingg completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Zurich University of Applied Sciences and attended the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
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“Martin is a highly skilled addition to the board, and we look forward to his contributions, drawing upon his deep expertise in asset management and corporate development. A key element of our strategy is focused on partnering with multiple world-class investment managers to ensure that we can best serve the unique needs of our policyholders. Martin is uniquely positioned to further strengthen the depth and diversity of experience on the board, in support of our vision of changing the way people feel about insurance,” said Professor Frederick Ma, GBS, JP, chairman, FWD Group.
“It’s an honour to join the FWD Group board at such an important stage in the company’s journey as a newly listed pan-Asian insurer. FWD has built a distinctive business with a clear customer-led vision, strong market positions, and an ambitious growth agenda. I look forward to working with my fellow directors and management to support the company’s continued development and long-term value creation,” Zingg said.
Lockton has brought Siva Thangavelu into Lockton Sime Malaysia as its chief operating officer, effective June 1, 2026. Thangavelu’s career spans more than 20 years in financial services, covering both banking and insurance, with a focus on operations management and large-scale change programmes. His most recent position was at Swiss Re in Kuala Lumpur, where he worked first as head of strategy and operations before transitioning to a centre of expertise lead role within the operational resilience and governance function. In that capacity, his work included regulatory alignment of the outsourcing portfolio and operational efficiency, alongside local cultural and inclusion programmes.
Before joining Swiss Re, Thangavelu held roles at CIMB, Marsh McLennan, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), and HSBC. At Marsh, he ran the operations and technology team across Malaysia and Indonesia, overseeing a 50-person team. His time at HSBC included setting up the operational performance improvement team and building out capacity modelling capabilities. At Royal Bank of Canada, he established the enterprise-wide business process management and Lean visual management practice. Across those roles, he delivered projects covering automation, customer process improvements, and operational performance, and trained more than 600 people in process improvement methods, according to Lockton.
Thangavelu holds an MBA from the University of Strathclyde and carries a Six Sigma Black Belt certification. “Siva’s breadth of experience across global financial institutions and his demonstrated leadership in driving transformation make him an exceptional addition to our leadership team. His expertise will further elevate our operational capabilities and support our continued growth across the region,” said Nicholas Lee, CEO, Lockton Sime Malaysia.
