Zurich appoints new CEO of Malaysia takaful arm

Insurer Zurich says that gaining a stronger foothold in Malaysia's general takaful market is a "strategic priority" as it appoints a new chief executive officer for the business.

As CEO of Zurich General Takaful Malaysia Berhad, Nazrul Hisham Abdul Hamid will be responsible for implementing and overseeing the execution of Zurich’s strategic priorities in the region. He will report to Zurich Malaysia country head Stephen Clark.

Abdul Hamid has over 25 years of experience in various strategic and senior management roles, with the recent 12 years in the takaful industry. Prior to joining Zurich Malaysia, he spent five years at Takaful Ikhlas Berhad, initially as chief business operations officer and later as chief operating officer managing the operational units for both the family takaful and general takaful businesses. Following the company’s composite takaful license conversion, he led the family takaful sales and operations in his capacity as the chief operating officer for Takaful Ikhlas Family Berhad.

“Nazrul was an ideal candidate to lead our general takaful business considering his wealth of experience in the sector," said Clark. "With his talent to identify good business opportunities and improvements, coupled with a strong conviction to achieve performance excellence, I am confident he will elevate our general takaful business further. I am excited to work alongside Nazrul to position Zurich as one of the top takaful brands in Malaysia, helping Malaysians from all walks of life to enhance their lifestyle.”