Chartis Asia-Pacific CEO Chris Townsend is joining US financial services giant Metlife as head of its Asia region.

Mr Townsend was CEO Australia for AIG in 2008 when the group nearly collapsed and had to be rescued by the US Government. He earned kudos for his strategy to ensure the parent company’s problems did not harm local operations.

AIG’s general insurance operations were rebranded as Chartis in July 2009, and the following year Mr Townsend moved from Sydney to Singapore to take up the Asia-Pacific post.

The Metlife appointment puts him in charge of operations in Japan, Korea, Australia, Hong Kong and China – one of only three geographic operating divisions in the company.

“Chris will be an outstanding leader of our Asia region,” Metlife Chairman, President and CEO Steven Kandarian said from New York. “He is a proven executive who knows how to drive profitable growth across multiple distribution channels.”

Mr Townsend will be based in Hong Kong. No departure date from Chartis has been announced, with Metlife saying he will join “after a period of time during which he fulfils his existing obligations to Chartis”.