Howden Re, the reinsurance arm of Howden Brokerage Group, has strengthened its market capabilities in China with the appointment of three senior officers in the treaty, retrocession and agricultural sectors, all based in Hong Kong.
Houqin Zhu joins as Managing Director, Head of China Treaty; Mike Xin joins as Managing Director, Head of Agriculture, Asia Pacific; David Song joins as Managing Director, Head of Return, Greater China.
Zhu Houqin has more than four decades of experience in the Chinese and international reinsurance markets. He joined Howden Reinsurance Company from Aon Reinsurance Group on June 17 as managing director, responsible for the property and casualty reinsurance business in Hong Kong and mainland China.
The executive previously held senior leadership roles at Willis Re and TigerRisk before it was acquired by Howden Group and subsequently renamed Howden Re.
In his new role as Head of China Treaties, he will spearhead the growth of Howden Re’s treaty services in the region. In addition, he will serve as a senior mentor for developing treaty specialists, a function the company considers critical to its market strategy.
Mike Xin took on the role of Head of Agriculture for Asia Pacific on July 13 and will be tasked with supporting the development of Howden Re’s agricultural capabilities across the region, with the Chinese market playing a key role.
The executive has 20 years of professional experience in the agricultural reinsurance field. Prior to joining the company, he served as an executive director at Gallagher Re, responsible for China agricultural reinsurance and Asia Pacific business. He also previously held senior roles at JLT Re and Aon Benfield.
David Song joins Howden Re from Guy Carpenter where he served as Vice President and Senior Vice President of Hong Kong. He has nearly 30 years of reinsurance brokerage and strategic planning experience, including 14 years with Guy Carpenter and 8 years with Aon Re China Limited, and has extensive expertise in property and casualty, agriculture, retrocession and ILS in Hong Kong and mainland China.
At Howden Re, he will focus on enhancing retrocession products and expanding reinsurer capacity sources in the region. Song is scheduled to begin his new role in October.
These appointments further strengthen Howden Re’s capabilities in areas critical to the continued development of China’s reinsurance market.
Andy Souter, Head of Asia Pacific at Howden Re International, commented: “China is an important reinsurance market driven by its size, growing demand for risk transfer and growing importance in the global insurance landscape. It remains a strategic focus for Howden Re International. Houqin, David and Mike each bring deep market expertise, strong client relationships and highly complementary capabilities.”
“They work alongside our established Hong Kong team and further enhance our ability to offer clients Howden Re’s comprehensive expertise, delivering solutions tailored to their individual needs. Their appointments reflect Howden’s collaborative approach to client advisory and reinforce our long-term commitment to China and the wider Asia-Pacific region as the market continues to evolve.”
Zhu Houqin, Managing Director and Head of China Treaties at Howden Re, said: “China’s insurance and reinsurance markets continue to evolve, creating huge opportunities as customers navigate an increasingly dynamic risk environment.
“Howden Re combines local expertise, global reach and specialized capabilities to create a powerful platform that can support clients as markets evolve. I am excited to join the firm and look forward to working with clients and colleagues to help deliver innovative solutions and long-term value.”
