MS Amlin, a reinsurer under the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, has appointed two senior members to its executive team, as new CEO Simon Beale repositions the business for the long term.

Simon Smith will assume the role of chief operating officer in July. He joins from Willis Towers Watson (WTW), where he held senior operations roles for more than 10 years. He started his insurance career at GE, later becoming chief operating officer of WTW Asia-Pacific then chief executive officer of its global solutions & delivery division. There, Smith led a team of 3,500 employees, delivering a significant operational improvement programme.

Meanwhile, Vivian Leinster has been appointed as chief people officer. With over 20 years’ experience in human resources, she will be in charge of the reinsurer’s human resources function. She was previously at Bupa UK where she had been people director since 2014. With a strong track record in driving transformation in businesses, she was responsible for the people, cultural, and change agenda across Bupa’s UK business.

These additions to the leadership team come shortly after Beale became CEO, alongside James Illingworth and Martyn Rodden as chief underwriting officer and chief risk officer, respectively.

“I am delighted to welcome Simon and Vivian to MS Amlin,” commented Beale. “The hires demonstrate our ability to attract leading industry talent and their wealth of experience and proven ability in successfully implementing change will be invaluable as we embark on an exciting new chapter in our history.

“I am confident they will both make a significant contribution to the programme of initiatives underway as we build a modern, relevant business with a sustainable and profitable long-term future. I look forward to working with them both as we move forward with our plans for MS Amlin.

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