Sompo International has appointed Paul O’Neill (pictured above) as president of commercial lines, insurance, Asia-Pacific.

O’Neill reports to Julian James, Sompo International CEO, global markets, commercial P&C, and Daniel Neo, CEO, Asia-Pacific, Sompo International. He will start in the new role later this month and will be based in Singapore.

According to Sompo International, O’Neill will be in charge of developing and driving the company’s commercial insurance business strategy across Asia-Pacific, excluding Japan.

O’Neill was most recently Asia-Pacific CEO at Howden Specialty. Prior to that, he was chief underwriting officer for specialty at AGCS and was also a member of the board of management. He began his career as a chemical and risk assessment engineer and moved into underwriting roles in marine and energy with global responsibility.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Paul to the team,” James said. “With extensive international experience on both the broking and insurer side, we will rely on Paul to build out our commercial insurance capabilities in Asia-Pacific, with a focus on profitable growth and collaboration across our organisation to bring the highest quality products and services that best meet client and broker needs.”

“I’m looking forward to working together with Paul to leverage the strength of Sompo for the benefit of our clients and brokers across the Asia-Pacific region,” Neo said. “I am confident that the team here will benefit from his rich and extensive experience in specialty insurance and leadership.”