Koller steps down as Insurance Europe director general

European insurance federation Insurance Europe has announced that Thea Utoft Høj Jensen will replace long-standing director general Michaela Koller.

Utoft Høj Jensen joins Insurance Europe from FTI Consulting, where she has been senior managing director and head of financial services from its office in Brussels since 2019.

She will take over from Koller, who has served in the role for the past 18 years, on 4 November 2024.

Koller, who has lobbied EU regulators to reduce the reporting requirements on insurers during her almost two decades at Insurance Europe, said: “I am proud of what we at Insurance Europe have achieved together during my time as director general. I have always been and will be passionate about the industry, as insurance matters for people and the economy.”

Frédéric de Courtois, deputy CEO of AXA Group, who was elected president of Insurance Europe earlier this year, welcomed the new appointment. He added: “Michaela’s decision to step down after so many years of service is certainly a loss not only to Insurance Europe but to the industry as a whole. She has left a stronger federation that is well respected and incredibly well run, foundations that I have no doubt Thea will build upon for the future.”

Utoft Høj Jensen, who before FTI Consulting represented the Danish government in Brussels as financial services counsellor, said: “I look forward to working on behalf of every member, to continue to promote the pivotal role that insurance and reinsurance plays for the European economy.”

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