Zurich has appointed Marsh executive Tim Scott-Young as its Chief Claims Officer for general insurance in Australia and New Zealand.

The appointment, effective May 17, comes as Hilary Bates, the current holder of the position, transitions into her new role as Chief Operations Officer for Zurich’s Australian Life and Investments business.

Mr Scott-Young started his insurance career at AIG, becoming Senior Vice President and Chief Claims Officer for the Middle East, Africa, Russia, Turkey and India, based in Dubai.

Later he held senior regional roles at Chubb, including Senior Vice President and Claims Director for Asia-Pacific and Claims Director for Continental Europe. Most recently he has been Marsh Senior Vice President and Australian Claims Operations Manager.

“We are delighted to have someone of Tim’s calibre join our general insurance business, reinforcing our ongoing commitment to delivering a world-class claims experience for customers,” Zurich Australia and New Zealand general insurance CEO Tim Plant said today.

“Hilary has created a strong legacy in the delivery of customer-led claims experiences at Zurich, and Tim’s international experience will be critical in further developing this as we continue to adapt and respond to changing customer needs”

The announcement follows the appointment in January of Suzi Leung as COO for the Australia and New Zealand general insurance business.