QBE appoints head of Middle East and Africa

Re/insurer QBE Insurance Group has appointed Abdallah Balbeisi as senior executive officer, head of Middle East and Africa (MEA).

Balbeisi will lead QBE’s insurance and reinsurance initiative in the MEA region. He is set to join the firm in May 2020 in its Dubai office, reporting to Stephen Postlewhite, deputy chief underwriting officer, QBE Re. Vladan Radakovic will serve as interim SEO until Balbeisi joins.

Balbeisi brings 20 years of industry experience to the role. He joins the company from Aspen Reinsurance, where he led the MEA region since 2010 from London and was appointed the SEO of Dubai office since 2017. Prior to Aspen he served in various regional roles in loss adjusting, underwriting and brokering.

Stephen Postlewhite, deputy chief underwriting officer, QBE Re said: “As a specialist insurer and reinsurer, we are dedicated to continually strengthening our capabilities to meet the evolving needs of our customers. Abdallah’s experience and strong relationships made him the ideal candidate to lead this business and further demonstrates our commitment to this key region for QBE.”