Global insurance industry collaboration ClimateWise has announced Kevin O’Donnell, President and CEO of Renaissance Re as its new chair.
As the initiative celebrates 15 years at the heart of the insurance industry’s climate conversations it also announces a new deputy chair in John Scott, Head of Sustainability Risk at Zurich Insurance Group.
Kevin O’Donnell said: “Climate change is one of the most complex challenges faced by the world and our business. As chair of ClimateWise, I look forward to working with leaders across our industry and the University of Cambridge to improve our collective understanding and management of climate risk while facilitating the transition to a lower carbon economy.”
Kevin O’Donnell has more than 30 years’ experience across the reinsurance and insurance industry. He is internationally recognised for his risk acumen and understanding, including the impacts of climate change on the environment, societies and our business.
The new appointment will be supported by new deputy chair, John Scott. John is an expert in climate risk and sustainability with strong networks across key international initiatives addressing climate change and achieving net zero. He has made a profound contribution to market initiatives and education in this area, including as a key contributor to the annual World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report, published with Zurich and other partners.
John Scott said: “ClimateWise has an important role in shaping the insurance industry’s response to climate change. I’m looking forward to guiding and developing the research work of CISL so insurers can meet the evolving challenges of a changing climate to both people and the planet.”
Outgoing Chair, Dominic Christian, Global Chairman Reinsurance Solutions at Aon, has overseen a number of significant achievements with ClimateWise since 2018, including:
- growing membership from 25 in 2018 to 40 in 2022,
- development of a significant research programme; and
- continued external engagement of ClimateWise with policy and peer initiatives such as the recent The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review and Sustainable Markets Initiative Insurance Task Force.
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