Berkshire taps former Swiss Re property fac leader in Asia

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has hired a new head of general property in Asia from Swiss Re, succeeding Ophelia Szeto who is retiring from the role after nearly a decade with the company.

Jess Au has joined the company as head of general property in Asia. She will be based in Singapore.

Au brings with her technical experience and market knowledge across Asia. Before BHSI, she had a number of regional managing & underwriting roles in the Singapore market, where she was most recently regional property facultative lead at Swiss Re. Her previous experiences include senior property roles at Asia Capital Re, Allied World and XL Catlin.

In Asia, BHSI provides general property coverage for a wide range of classes, including manufacturing, infrastructure, and real estate, as well as stand-alone natural catastrophe coverage.

“Jess takes the reins of our general property portfolio with more than 20 years of experience in Asia. I look forward to working with her as we continue to build and expand BHSI’s long-term relationships in the region,” said Marc Breuil, regional president, Asia Middle East, BHSI. “I also want to thank Ophelia for her work and her dedication in establishing our commercial property presence in Asia and we wish her success in her next endeavours.”

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