The Geneva association, a global insurance industry organization that brings together senior leaders from major insurers and reinsurers to support research and discussions on risk and resilience, confirmed the change in the chairmanship following its 2026 spring board meeting on June 3.
Lard Friese, CEO of Aegon and Chairman of the Executive Committee, has been appointed President of the Geneva Association. He has been deputy chairman since November 2024 and succeeds AIA Group CEO and President Li Yuanxiang, who will remain on the board after completing his term as chairman.
At the 2026 General Meeting on June 4, the Geneva association also elected two new board members: Christoph Jurecka, Chairman of the Board of Management of Munich Re, and Tim Sweeney, Chairman, President and CEO of Liberty Mutual Insurance.
Frith commented: “I am grateful to Li Yuanxiang for his outstanding leadership over the past two years. I am honored to succeed him as President of the Geneva Association, an organization that plays such an important role in shaping the understanding of global risks and resilience.
“In a time of heightened uncertainty, fragmentation and interconnected risks, the industry’s collective insights and evidence-based research are more important than ever. I am also pleased to welcome Christoph Jurecka and Tim Sweeney to the Board of Directors, and I look forward to working with them and all Geneva Associates board members, as well as Jad Ariss and the Geneva Associates team, to advance our mission.”
Jad Ariss, Managing Director of the Geneva Association, added: “I would like to thank Li Yuanxiang for his vision and dedication. It is a privilege to work with him to advance our belief of ‘insurance for a better world’. Under his leadership, our membership in Asia has increased significantly and raised the Association’s profile across the region, strengthening our global reach and long-term influence.”
“I am delighted that Lard Friese has been appointed as Chairman and I look forward to working with him. I also warmly welcome new board members Christoph Jurecka and Tim Sweeney. Together with the wider board, we will ensure that the Geneva Association continues to provide the research, dialogue and leadership needed to help the industry respond to an increasingly complex risk landscape.”
The Geneva Association’s Spring 2026 Board Meeting took place ahead of the two-day annual conference in Madrid, Spain, which brought together 61 global insurance CEOs under the theme “A World Under Pressure: Resilience in Fragmentation.”
