Price Forbes Singapore has appointed Rajiv Ramakrishnan (pictured) as head of accident and health (A&H), as the broker looks to build further momentum in Asia-Pacific’s expanding health and specialty market.

Ramakrishnan takes up the role immediately and will report to Dick Heath, head of reinsurance and wholesale. Based in Singapore, he will lead the development of Price Forbes’ A&H offering across Southeast Asia and the wider APAC region.

The move comes as insurers across Asia-Pacific face growing strain in the A&H segment, with medical inflation continuing to outpace general inflation and demand for health-related protection remaining firm. Against that backdrop, Ramakrishnan will focus on helping cedants address gaps in their A&H portfolios and support the launch of new primary products across critical illness, lump-sum, travel and other lines.

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He joins from Liberty Mutual Insurance, where he spent nine years and most recently served as vice president, A&H insurance products, based in Thailand. He also brings five years of experience in health economics, spanning pharmaceuticals and hospital operations.

The appointment adds to the speciality broker's broader expansion drive in the region as it seeks to deepen its specialty capabilities and strengthen its position with cedants across APAC.

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Philip Johnson, chief executive of Price Forbes Asia Pacific, said Ramakrishnan’s appointment marks the next stage in the firm’s ambition to build a broader specialty offering for clients across the region.

“A&H is a space where we have identified enormous opportunity due to significant structural growth and unmet demand, and Rajiv’s depth of experience across this sector means we are positioned to pursue this opportunity with confidence,” Johnson said.

“His leadership further reinforces our position as the partner of choice for cedants looking to strengthen and diversify their portfolios across the region and I am excited to be welcoming him to the team.”