Ian Kloss has stepped down as chief executive of Quilter International Singapore.
He recently left Quilter International and has relocated to the UK, the insurer confirmed on Tuesday.
The news comes during a transition period for the company, which is in the process of being sold to rival life insurer Utmost Group.
High net worth strategy
His replacement has been named as Nicholas Kourteff, who joins the international life office from Transamerica Life Bermuda where he served as Singapore chief executive.
He has held a number of senior roles at some of the biggest names in the sector during his 25-year career. These include Credit Suisse, UBS, Axa Wealth Management Asia, Winterthur Life and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
In his new role, Kourteff will collaborate closely with Mark Christal, chief executive of Hong Kong and head of region north east Asia at Quilter International, and the firm’s pan-Asian high net worth team.
The team consists of specialists from both Singapore and Hong Kong and is responsible for delivering the firm’s high net worth strategy across the whole of Asia.
Kourteff’s start date is subject to regulatory approval.
Private banks, EAMs and family offices
Describing Kloss’ contribution to the business as “fantastic”, Quilter International sales director Brendan Dolan said he “has been instrumental in growing our brand in Singapore” over the last six years.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Nicholas to Quilter International and he joins at an exciting time for the business,” Dolan continued.
“Singapore is one of our core growth markets and we are committed to supporting the independent advice sector and expanding our distribution channels in the region.
“Nicholas’ expertise and understanding of the HNW client base across Asia will be a great asset and will help us broaden our reach across private banks, external asset managers and family offices.
“There is an ever-increasing population of HNW clients throughout Asia who are internationally mobile and at a stage of passing on wealth across generations. These clients typically hold international wealth and have complex needs. For this reason, we have strengthened our Pan-Asian HNW team so that it can provide better service and technical support to help our distributors leverage opportunities and deliver better customer outcomes.
“Nicholas’ joining further demonstrates the professionalism and technical capabilities of our Asia team,” Dolan added.
