Having led the Hannover Re Group for more than 13 years, Chief Executive Officer Wilhelm Zeller is retiring today as planned.
After graduating in business administration with a major in insurance studies, Mr. Zeller embarked on his professional career in 1969 with the Gerling Group in Cologne. One year later he moved to Zürich Versicherungs-Gesellschaft in Frankfurt, where he headed the Property/Casualty Germany and International Non-Life departments.
In 1977 Mr. Zeller was appointed to the Board of Executive Directors of Kölnische Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG (Cologne Re). In 1995 he also became a member of the Executive Council of the Cologne Re’s new principal shareholder, General Re Corporation in Stamford, United States. In 1996 Mr. Zeller assumed the mantle of Chief Executive Officer of Hannover Re and E+S Rück.
In his more than 13 years of service Wilhelm Zeller was instrumental in shaping the company: under his leadership Hannover Re evolved into a major global reinsurance group. Mr. Zeller restructured the Group and established Hannover Re as a “somewhat different reinsurer”.
His strategy of efficient capital management, active cycle management and a focus on profitability rather than premium volume or market shares as well as the strategically important expansion of life reinsurance business made Hannover Re into a successful and strong reinsurer.
The Supervisory Board of the company has expressed its wholehearted thanks to Mr. Zeller for his exceptional entrepreneurial accomplishments and visionary leadership.
Today, Ulrich Wallin – as already announced in January – succeeds Wilhelm Zeller as Chief Executive Officer of Hannover Re and E+S Rück.
