Friese succeeds Lee as Geneva Association chair

Lard Friese, CEO and chairman of the executive committee of Aegon, has been appointed chair of the Geneva Association.

Friese (pictured) was appointed at the re/insurance think-tank organisation’s spring 2026 board meeting on 3 June.

He has served as vice chair of the Geneva Association since November 2024 and succeeds Lee Yuan Siong, group chief executive and president of AIA.

Lee will remain on the board following the completion of his term as chair.

Two Geneva Association members were also elected to the board of directors at the 2026 General Assembly on 4 June.

They are Christoph Jurecka, chair of the board of management at Munich Re, and Tim Sweeney, chairman, president and CEO of Liberty Mutual Insurance.

Friese said: “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 organisation that plays such an important role in shaping the understanding of global risk and resilience.

“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, and I look forward to working with them and all Geneva Association Board members, in addition to Jad Ariss and the Geneva Association team, to advance our mission.”

Jad Ariss, managing director of the Geneva Association, thanked Lee for his leadership and said the organisation had expanded its reach in Asia during his term.

“I would like to thank Lee Yuan Siong for his vision and dedication. It has been an honour 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, enhancing our global reach and long-term impact.

“I am delighted that Lard Friese has been appointed Chair 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 navigate an increasingly complex risk landscape,” he added.

The Geneva Association’s spring board meeting took place ahead of its two-day General Assembly in Madrid, Spain.

The event gathered 61 global insurance CEOs under the theme of “A World Under Strain: Resilience Amid Fragmentation”.