International insurer QBE and specialty insurer HDI Global have announced key new appointments as they expand their leadership teams and market presence in Europe.
QBE has brought on Paul Peerdeman, a seasoned expert in marine insurance, to lead the launch of its marine products in the Netherlands starting August 1. Peerdeman, who has over 35 years of experience in the insurance industry, has worked in several notable roles including head of marine at ERGO Netherlands and various leadership positions at Aon, HDI Gerling, Chubb, and Allianz. At QBE Netherlands, he will focus on rolling out marine cargo and fine art insurance products that are already available in France, the Nordics, and Germany. His appointment signals QBE’s commitment to servicing the Dutch marine insurance market, which is one of the oldest and most important in the world. Peerdeman will report to Tania Bensoussan-Arthur, QBE’s marine practice lead for Europe.
Meanwhile, HDI Global has named Dennis Siebrasse as head of Liability Underwriting Europe, while Dr. Pascal Nef will take charge as head of Technical & Strategic Services – Long Tail. Both changes take effect from November 1 and see Siebrasse and Nef report directly to Dr. Mukadder Erdönmez, who oversees liability, cyber, and motor insurance on HDI’s executive board. Siebrasse, who had been leading Technical & Strategic Services for the Long Tail segment, is set to guide underwriting across HDI’s core European markets. Nef, with more than a decade of experience in analytics and corporate insurance, joins from Swiss Re where he led risk consulting and analytics in EMEA. He will succeed Siebrasse’s previous role, focusing on using data to boost underwriting, profitability, and growth strategies.
These leadership moves come as QBE Netherlands continues to broaden its product offerings after opening its branch just two and a half years ago. The addition of marine insurance will help it better serve customers and brokers locally, especially those involved in international trade. At the same time, HDI Global’s appointments aim to strengthen its liability segment, building on interim leadership efforts earlier this year.
Together, these hires reflect both insurers’ focus on expanding expertise and products tailored to European clients. With Peerdeman’s deep knowledge of the Dutch marine market and HDI’s focus on strategic underwriting leadership, both companies are positioning themselves to meet customer needs as they grow in new and established markets.