Mr. Yoshihiro Kawai appointed as new Board Chair of the SEADRIF Insurance Company

The SEADRIF Insurance Company welcomes Mr. Yoshihiro Kawai as new Chair of the Board from 4 May 2023.

Mr. Kawai brings a wealth of both industry and policy experience to SEADRIF. After starting his career in the insurance industry and the government of Japan, he spent two decades leading high-level international policy and spearheading insurance regulatory developments at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS).

Mr Kawai currently also serves as Chair of the OECD Insurance and Private Pension Committee; Chair of the Global Asia Insurance Partnership (GAIP); Advisor to the Commissioner of Japan Financial Services Agency (FSA); and Member of the International Advisory Council, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC).

He is also Adjunct Professor at the Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University and Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy, Tokyo University.

With Mr Kawai’s distinguished background, he will lead the Company to the next level of growth to fulfill the SEADRIF Insurance company’s mission of building the financial resilience of ASEAN member states against climate shocks and disasters by closing the protection gaps.

Mrs. Hauw Soo Hoon who stepped down as the Board Chair will stay on as Board Member. The Company wishes to express sincere gratitude to her leadership and devotion to the SEADRIF mission.

Mrs. Hauw has led the Company since its inception, providing leadership and guidance to the establishment and early development of the Company.

Additional information about Mr Yoshihiro Kawai

Mr. Kawai has led the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) for 20 years as Deputy Secretary General (1998-2003) and Secretary General (2003-2017). He was instrumental to the dynamic growth of the Association and has contributed to keeping the world’s financial systems in order. During this period, Mr. Kawai was also a member of the Financial Stability Board (formerly Financial Stability Forum).

Mr. Kawai’s professional career began with Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance Co and the Ministry of Labour, Japan. He later served on the Secretariat for the OECD Insurance Committee in Paris (1991-1995) and acted as Advisor to the Minister of Finance and the President of the Insurance Supervisory Authority Poland in Warsaw (1995-1998).

He earned his PhD in insurance in 2000 from City University, London. His PhD was preceded by a BA in Education and Sociology from the University of Tokyo and a MBA from INSEAD, France.