Zurich International Life (Zil) has announced the replacement of Carlos Sabugueiro, its former Middle East chief executive who unexpectedly left the firm last month (December).
Sabugueiro had been in the post just over a year. Previously he had been Zil’s regional director for Asia, based in Hong Kong, and had been with Zurich group for almost 15 years in a variety of roles.
It is believed he will be joining another, as yet undisclosed, life company in the Middle East.
Zil this week said Mark Hartigan, global head of international and expatriate clients for another Zurich division, Global Life, will take on the Middle East CEO role. He will also retain his previous position.
Hartigan, who has only been with Zurich since last July, will report to David Sims, chief executive of the Global Life division.
Hartigan joined Zurich from Middle East financial advisory firm Nexus, where he was deputy chief executive. Nexus has strong links to Zurich, having been the tied agency force in the region for the life company until a management buyout in 2007.
Sims said: “This is an exciting new chapter for our business; Mark has first-hand experience of meeting the needs of this distinct customer segment, plus hands-on experience of what it is like to be a customer of Zurich. Together with this, Mark brings a deep understanding of the Middle East distribution market place and with his passion; he will help to drive the growth of our Middle East business.”
