Michel M. Liès to succeed Denis Duverne as Chair of the Insurance Development Forum’s Steering Committee

The Insurance Development Forum (IDF) is delighted to announce the appointment of Michel M. Liès as its next Steering Committee Chair with effect from 19th April 2022. The IDF is a public / private partnership led by the insurance industry and whose members include the United Nations, the World Bank Group and other international organisations.

Michel M. Liès, who is Chairman of Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) and Deputy Chair of the IDF Steering Committee, will succeed Denis Duverne, Chairman of the Board at AXA, who has been IDF Steering Committee Chair since September 2018.

Mr Liès has extensive experience of the insurance sector, having spent over four decades with Swiss Re – including as Group CEO from 2012 until his retirement from the company in 2016. He has been Chairman of Zurich since April 2018 and continues to shape the insurance sector’s strategic direction, including as a vocal proponent of its role in addressing Sustainability challenges. He is a member of the Institute of International Finance Board, European Financial Services Roundtable and World Economic Forum Community of Chairmen.

Michel M. Liès, IDF Steering Committee Chair Designate and Chairman of Zurich Insurance Group, said: 

“The IDF has made an outstanding policy and operational impact in recent years, delivering the first three country programmes under the Tripartite Agreement, as well as significant mobilisation of new resources in support of the climate and disaster risk financing agenda. This is due in no small part to the Steering Committee under the leadership of Denis Duverne and to the IDF’s working groups, our fast-growing membership, and our partners and supporters.

While some countries have increased their resilience to climate change, the urgency of the climate crisis calls for much greater speed. This creates a critical role for advocacy about

the importance of risk management and insurance in supporting development. In addition, the need for effective cross-sector collaboration to deliver meaningful change has never been more important and this must be a key priority in the immediate term.

It is an honour and privilege to be asked to Chair the IDF’s Steering Committee alongside co-Chairs Achim Steiner and Hiroshi Matano and I would like to thank Denis for the outstanding contribution he has made in championing the work of the IDF. We are on a journey – including extending partnerships, accelerating our operational programmes and mobilising new resources in support of the climate and disaster risk financing agenda – and I am confident that the IDF will remain a key institution for bringing about systemic change.”

Denis Duverne, IDF Steering Committee Chair and Chairman of the Board at AXA, commented:

“It has been an honour to have served as Chair of the IDF Steering Committee for over three years and during this time, we have achieved so much in terms of galvanising the public, private and humanitarian sectors to highlight the crucial role that insurers must play in addressing the adaptation and resilience challenges we face today.

While a huge amount of work still clearly remains to be done – considering the recent IPCC report and roll back in the human development index across the SDGs – I am confident that the IDF will continue to play a pivotal role in bringing about systemic change to combat the climate crisis and help deepen global resilience.

In this regard, I would like to acknowledge the remarkable work done by the German government and the BMZ and thank them for their true partnership in exploring how the public sector can effectively engage and leverage private sector expertise in collaboration with countries. Such partnerships are rare and this alliance with IDF and industry is unprecedented. The work we have done together to establish the Tripartite agreement, and the Global Risk Modelling Alliance (GRMA) with the V20 demonstrates their exceptional leadership in this space and willingness to drive innovation and steer change.

I would also like to thank Rowan Douglas, Chair of the Operating Committee of the IDF and Ekhosuehi Iyahen, our outstanding Secretary General, who have been invaluable contributors to our programmes.

Looking forward, I am very pleased to hand over the reins to Michel whose extensive international experience across our industry makes him an ideal successor to this role and I know that under his stewardship, the IDF’s Steering Committee and the institution as a whole is in exceptionally good hands. I am also pleased that my successor Antoine Gosset-Grainville will continue to ensure AXA’s continued strong engagement with the IDF.”