Chubb Asia-Pacific EVP and head of consumer Ben Howell has been appointed country president of Australia and New Zealand and is expected to start on September 1, pending regulatory approval.

The insurer says he is replacing Peter Kelaher, who is relocating to Paris as division president of continental Europe, Middle East and North Africa. 

As country president, Mr Howell will have responsibility for Chubb’s property and casualty and personal lines operations across Australia and New Zealand. 

He will continue to report to Asia-Pacific regional president Marcos Gunn, who took up the role this month and is based in Singapore.

“Ben is a highly respected insurance professional with a wealth of experience gained while working in Australia and across the Asia Pacific region,” Mr Gunn said. “With a proven track record of leading high-performing teams and driving business innovation while delivering profitable growth, Ben is well placed to further elevate our general insurance business in Australia and New Zealand.” 

Mr Howell has more than 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry. He first joined Chubb as an underwriter in Sydney in 2002 before working with other global insurers, including with AIG in Hong Kong and Singapore.

He rejoined Chubb in July 2016 as global broker unit manager Victoria and later moved up the corporate ladder, taking up increasingly senior roles across the Asia Pacific region. 

Mr Kelaher, who has been country president of Australia and New Zealand since 2021, is expected to commence his new role on September 1, subject to regulatory approval. 

He will report to David Furby, Chubb Group senior VP and regional president Europe, Middle East and Africa. 

“Peter brings more than 20 years of experience, including more than 15 years at Chubb, to this important role within the region,” Mr Furby said. “He has played an important role in leading our growing commercial and consumer businesses in Australia and New Zealand. I look forward to working with him to continue the development of our business throughout Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa.”