Kathleen Van den Eynde Appointed Regional CEO of Allianz Benelux

On Friday 31 May 2024, Allianz announced the appointment of Kathleen Van den Eynde as Regional CEO of Allianz Benelux.

Kathleen Van den Eynde will become Regional CEO of Allianz Benelux, whilst Hélène Portegies will succeed her as CEO of Allianz in Belgium. Both appointments take effect 1 June 2024 and are subject to obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals, noted the insurance and financial services company.

After leading the Allianz Benelux team for three years, Joos Louwerier has decided to step down from his position as Regional CEO in order to take up a new management role within the Allianz group, which will be announced "in due course", according to Allianz.

Kathleen Van den Eynde, who is currently CEO of Allianz Belgium, as well as member of the Board of Directors of Allianz Benelux in charge of Sales & Distribution Belgium and Life, Health & Investments Benelux, will succeed Joos Louwerier as Regional CEO until the end of the year. In addition to her new role, she will retain her Life, Health & Investments Benelux responsibilities.

As reported by Allianz, Kathleen Van den Eynde is a "highly experienced" leader with a proven track record at the company. After holding several management positions within Life & Health at Allianz Belgium, she joined the Board of Directors of Allianz Benelux as head of Life, Health & Investments. In 2019, she was appointed CEO of Allianz Belgium.

Hélène Portegies, member of the Board of Directors of Allianz Benelux in charge of People & Communication since December 2022, will take over as CEO of Allianz Belgium, combining both functions. The Sales & Distribution team in Belgium will report to her as part of this expanded role. Before joining Allianz, Hélène Portegies held the position of CEO of an insurance company in Belgium. She has "extensive" knowledge of the Belgian insurance market, with experience in product development, operations, IT and marketing, according to Allianz.

Sirma Boshnakova, member of the Board of Directors responsible for Benelux at Allianz SE, commented: "I thank Joos for his contribution in recent years to Allianz Benelux and wish him every success in his new role within the Allianz Group. I am pleased that both Kathleen and Hélène take on their new roles as each will bring strong leadership capabilities and extensive experience to the strategic agenda of their respective markets. I look forward to working with them and am convinced that they will bring greater added value to our customers, partners and employees, while preparing for the future of the company."