Wessén appointed chair of ICMIF

Ylva Wessén, president and CEO of Swedish insurer Folksam, has been appointed chair of the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation for a four-year term.

The appointment was announced at ICMIF’s General Meeting in Toronto, held at the start of its 2026 Biennial Conference.

Wessén (pictured) succeeds Rob Wesseling, president and CEO of Co-operators, who became ICMIF chair in October 2022.

She has led Folksam since 2019 and has held senior positions at the Swedish insurer for 19 years.

Wessén has served on the ICMIF board and executive committee since 2019 and as vice-chair for Europe since 2021. She has also chaired Insurance Sweden since 2022.

Wessén said: “The mutual and cooperative way of doing insurance is built on trust and a long-term perspective.

“It is more relevant than ever in a time of major change and compounding risks. Many of the challenges we face, such as climate change, geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological development, do not stop at national borders.”

She added: “Through ICMIF, we can learn from each other, share experiences and work together to strengthen the mutual and cooperative insurance model for the future.”

ICMIF said the global mutual and cooperative insurance sector generated record premium income of $1.61tn in 2024, up from $1.50tn in 2023, and maintained a 26.1% share of the global insurance market.

The sector includes more than 4,700 mutual and cooperative insurers across 80 countries and territories, holding $10.8tn in assets and serving around 856 million members and policyholders.

ICMIF CEO Liz Green said: “Having served on the ICMIF Board since 2019 and as Vice-Chair since 2021, Ylva brings a deep understanding of our Federation, its members and our shared ambitions for the mutual and cooperative insurance sector.”

The organisation also unveiled its 2027-2030 strategy, “Trusted to Deliver”, at the General Meeting.

Green added: “I look forward to building on this strong foundation as we continue to strengthen ICMIF’s role as a trusted global network, sharing knowledge, insight and practical experience to help members achieve their strategic ambitions.”