Hankin succeeds Chris Killourhy, who was earlier appointed group chief financial officer.
Hankin currently serves as chief underwriting officer (CUO) of QBE International, a role he has held since March 2021. He joined QBE European Operations as deputy CUO in July 2020 and became part of the group CUO team in March 2020.
In his new position, Hankin will lead QBE’s global reinsurance arm, which writes across multiple lines and geographies as part of the group’s capital and risk management strategy. He will initially continue as CUO of QBE International while the firm recruits a successor, with an announcement on that appointment to follow.
Hankin’s move follows Killourhy’s transition from QBE Re to the group CFO role after leading the reinsurance business since 2022.
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The leadership handover comes at a point where the re/insurance group is managing softer conditions in some segments while seeking to retain underwriting discipline. Killourhy has previously framed the strategy around a more focused client set and selective use of capacity, positioning the platform for earnings resilience as market pricing and catastrophe activity evolve.
Hankin’s broader career spans more than 30 years in underwriting and senior leadership across six major insurance organizations, including RSA, AXA, Zurich, AIG and Aviva. His experience covers underwriting leadership, P&L management, risk and governance, and strategic planning, and he holds an MBA from Cass Business School.
He is also the current chair of the Association of British Insurers’ (ABI) commercial committee, a role that connects him with a broad cross-section of the UK and international commercial insurance market. That external perspective is expected to inform his work with QBE Re as cedents and brokers assess capacity, structures and pricing across treaty programs.
Hankin will also be stepping into the role as QBE Re builds out targeted capabilities in areas such as structured reinsurance. The company recently created a global head of structured reinsurance position, highlighting quota share arrangements, loss portfolio transfers and adverse development covers as a key growth focus amid mid-2025 market conditions that favored buyers looking for capital-efficient solutions.
This emphasis on structured solutions sits alongside QBE Re’s traditional treaty portfolio and regional build-out, adding another dimension to the agenda Hankin will oversee.
His underwriting background and portfolio responsibilities at QBE International are likely to be relevant as the reinsurer balances growth opportunities with risk appetite and capital deployment.
QBE International CEO Jason Harris said Hankin’s move reflects the company’s approach to developing and deploying internal talent.
“I’m pleased to recognize the strength of our internal talent pool and Nick’s leadership skills with this appointment,” Harris said, adding that Hankin “combines technical excellence with strategic vision and proven execution capability.”
Harris added that QBE Re has taken on a larger role within the group’s global portfolio. “QBE Re plays an increasingly important role for the business and I’m confident Nick and the QBE Re team will continue to deliver for our cedants and partners through engagement and the strength of our global franchise,” he said.
