Munich Re opens door for female leaders in big shake up of all-male board

World’s largest reinsurer  Munich Re has appointed two women leaders in the latest shake-up of its all-male management board, while announcing that a top executive has decided to step down “at his own request”.

Thomas Blunck has been appointed as the chair of the Reinsurance Committee of the group’s board of management with effect from January 1, 2023.

Blunck will succeed Torsten Jeworrek, who will step down from the board of management of Munich Re at the end of the year “at his own request”.

The German reinsurer’s supervisory board has also appointed Clarisse Kopff (pictured left) and Mari-Lizette Malherbe (pictured right) as new members of the board of management. They will join the board chaired by Munich Re chief executive Joachim Wenning and includes its chief investment officer Nicholas Gartside, chief financial officer Christoph Jurecka, labour relations director Achim Kassow, Blunck, Markus Rieß and Stefan Golling.

Kopff will head the Europe and Latin America non-life division. Mari-Lizette Malherbe will take over responsibility for the life and health division from Blunck.

Kopff has been with the Allianz Group for the past 21 years. She is currently based in Paris, where she works as Allianz Trade’s chief executive officer. She was previously CFO at Allianz France and Euler Hermes.

Mari-Lizette Malherbe has been with Munich Re since 2007, and to date headed the life and health reinsurance Europe and Latin America divisional unit from London.

Blunck joined the board of management in 2005. In addition to becoming the chair of the reinsurance committee, he will also chair the global underwriting and risk committee. On the board of management, he will also be responsible for data and analytics, internet of things, corporate underwriting, claims, accounting, reinsurance development, controlling and central reserving for reinsurance, and information technology.

Additionally, Stefan Golling will take responsibility for capital partners on the board of management.

Jeworrek has been with the company for a total of 32 years and has been a member of the Board of Management for two decades.

“Torsten Jeworrek’s contribution to our company has been extraordinary. I very much look forward to working closely with Mari-Lizette Malherbe, Clarisse Kopff and Thomas Blunck in their new roles,” said Munich Re CEO Wenning.

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