Chubb has appointed two executives to oversee its global digital business following Sean Ringsted’s move to the role of chief scientist, announced earlier this year. The insurer has divided responsibilities previously held under a single global digital leadership remit into two separate functions.
Johan Oosthuizen has been appointed global head of digital business, with responsibility for the acquisition and performance of Chubb’s digital partnerships and the global deployment of approved products.
Gabriel Lazaro has been named global head of digital growth and strategic consumer partnerships. His responsibilities will include expanding Chubb’s relationships with digital platforms, technology companies and emerging ecosystems across both property and casualty (P&C) and life insurance.
Two Executives With Separate Responsibilities
Oosthuizen takes on the global digital business role after serving as Chubb’s global digital chief technology officer. During more than two decades with the company, he helped develop its digital technology strategy, along with its embedded insurance and digital partnership capabilities.
He will report to Paul McNamee, president of overseas general insurance and executive vice president of Chubb Group. For life-related production, Oosthuizen will also have a separate reporting relationship with Bryce Johns, president of Chubb Life.
Lazaro joined Chubb in 2016 as head of digital for Latin America. In 2021, he was promoted to executive vice president and head of digital business for overseas general insurance.
In his new role, Lazaro will report to both McNamee and Oosthuizen, focusing on expanding Chubb’s digital growth and strategic consumer partnerships.
Implications for Brokers and Distribution Partners
The decision to divide Ringsted’s previous responsibilities between two executives creates a more specialised leadership structure for brokers and MGAs working with Chubb through digital and embedded insurance channels.
Under the new structure, Oosthuizen’s function will focus on product delivery, digital business operations and related infrastructure, while Lazaro will concentrate on partnership development and growth.
The separation highlights the expanding role of digital and embedded insurance partnerships within Chubb’s business. The management of established digital capabilities and the development of new relationships with platforms and technology companies are now being handled as distinct areas of responsibility.
For brokers advising clients on embedded or platform-distributed insurance products, as well as MGAs operating through Chubb’s delegated-authority arrangements in digital insurance lines, understanding the responsibilities of each leadership function will be important when managing relationships with the insurer.
