Generali appoints AXA chief Roberto Leonardi as Asia CEO

The Generali Group has appointed former AXA executive Roberto Leonardi as regional officer for Asia, based in Hong Kong.

In his new role, Leonardi will report to Frédéric de Courtois, CEO of global business lines and international, with the responsibility of growing and managing Generali’s life and property/casualty insurance businesses in Asia.

Prior to joining Generali, he was with AXA Asia, where he was in-charge of health and employment benefits, protection, marketing, digital and big data.

He has also served as the regional head of Munich Health, overseeing its health re/insurance businesses with specific focus on Greater China, India, Indonesia and Japan.

Leonardi has served in variety of leadership roles at UnitedHealth International, including executive vice president and CEO of UnitedHealth Asia, CEO of Portugal and chief operating officer and chief financial officer in its joint ventures

Courtois said: "Rob has the track record and technical knowledge to drive our Asia businesses to the next level. Generali has a solid geographical presence in Asia with operations in 10 markets, many of which present fast growing opportunities and where we have forged deep partnerships with distributors and customers.

"In particular, Rob’s experience in the Health segment is a strategic fit to Generali’s ambitions of accelerating our efforts to become a leading player in an area where we already have significant market share and capability. The combination of his experience, drive and culture makes him an ideal fit for Generali's next stage of growth."

Leonardi added: "I am very excited to be part of an organization which has a clear purpose to actively protect and enhance people’s lives, and I look forward to working with a talented and passionate team focused on building a strong platform for future growth and customer centricity."

Did you enjoy reading this story?  Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.