The Geneva Association has announced that Lard Friese, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Aegon, has been appointed Chair of the organization. The appointment took place at the spring 2026 board meeting on June 3. Friese, who has served as Vice Chair since November 2024, succeeds Lee Yuan Siong, Group Chief Executive and President of AIA. Lee will remain on the board following his term as Chair.
New Board Members Elected
During the 2026 General Assembly on June 4, two new members were elected to the board of directors: Christoph Jurecka, Chair of the Board of Management of Munich Re, and Tim Sweeney, Chairman, President, and CEO of Liberty Mutual Insurance.
Leadership Comments
Lard Friese expressed gratitude to his predecessor, stating, "I am grateful to Lee Yuan Siong for his outstanding leadership over the past two years. It is a privilege to succeed him as Chair of the Geneva Association, an organization that plays such an important role in shaping the understanding of global risk and resilience." He added, "At a time of heightened uncertainty, fragmentation, and interconnected risks, the industry’s collective insight and evidence-based research are more important than ever. I am also delighted to welcome Christoph Jurecka and Tim Sweeney to the board of directors."
Jad Ariss, Managing Director of the Geneva Association, praised Lee's tenure: "I would like to thank Lee Yuan Siong for his vision and dedication. It has been an honor to work alongside him in advancing our belief in ‘Insurance for a Better World’. Under his leadership, we have significantly grown our membership in Asia and heightened the Association’s profile across the region." Ariss also welcomed Friese and the new board members, emphasizing the Association's mission to provide research and leadership for a complex risk landscape.
General Assembly Highlights
The spring board meeting preceded the organization's annual two-day General Assembly, which gathered 61 global insurance CEOs in Madrid, Spain. The theme was 'A World Under Strain: Resilience Amid Fragmentation.'
About the Geneva Association
The Geneva Association is the only global association of insurance companies, with members comprising insurance and reinsurance CEOs. It conducts rigorous research in collaboration with members, academic institutions, and multilateral organizations to investigate key risk areas affecting the insurance industry. The Association develops recommendations and provides a platform for stakeholder discussion. Its member companies are headquartered in 26 countries, manage USD 21 trillion in assets, employ over 2.5 million people, and protect 2.6 billion individuals.
For more information, the press release can be downloaded from the Geneva Association website.
