Allianz Australia Chairman John Curtis will retire at the end of the year after more than 20 years in the role, with board member and former Suncorp Director Paula Dwyer to take over the position from January.

Mr Curtis joined the board of Manufacturers Mutual Insurance (MMI), which had been taken over by Allianz, in 1992 and became Allianz Australia Chairman in 1995.

Gross written premium during his tenure increased from about $900 million to $5 billion and he has been a strong champion for diversity, the insurer says.

“As chairman, John played a critical role in the development of the company from MMI to an important contributor to the global Allianz insurance business,’ MD Richard Feledy said.

Mr Curtis was also St George Bank chairman from 1997-2008 and then deputy chairman of Westpac until 2014 and has extensive business experience in Australia and overseas.

Ms Dwyer is currently Tabcorp Holdings Chairman and is a director of ANZ and beverages company Lion. She joined the Allianz board in February.

She was also formerly a member of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission External Advisory Panel.