IDF appoints Swiss Re’s Menzinger as Chair of OpCo, succeeding Rowan Douglas.

The Insurance Development Forum (IDF) has appointed Ivo Menzinger of Swiss Re as the new Chair of its Operating Committee (OpCo), succeeding Rowan Douglas CBE, CEO of Climate Risk & Resilience at Howden. Douglas, a key figure in the IDF’s creation, has led the OpCo since its inception.

Menzinger, currently Managing Director of Public Sector Business at Swiss Re, brings extensive experience in public-private partnerships, particularly in disaster risk management and insurance. He has also served as Deputy Chair of the IDF OpCo and Co-Chair of the IDF Sovereign and Humanitarian Working Group for nearly a decade.

As the IDF marks its 10th anniversary, Douglas’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping the organization, integrating insurance into global climate risk and resilience discussions, and fostering collaborations across industry and policy spheres. Having joined Howden in 2023, he remains a strong advocate for insurance-driven resilience strategies.

Michel Liès, Chair of the IDF Steering Committee, acknowledged Douglas’s contributions, stating that his leadership transformed the IDF into a global force for resilience. He also emphasized Menzinger’s role in driving the next phase of the IDF’s work, focusing on expanding solutions and uniting stakeholders to address urgent climate and disaster challenges.

Menzinger expressed his commitment to scaling impactful solutions through strengthened partnerships and innovation, ensuring the IDF continues to drive meaningful change for vulnerable communities. Douglas, in his farewell remarks, reflected on the progress made over the past decade and expressed confidence in Menzinger’s leadership to advance the IDF’s mission.

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