Press release | July 15, 2025
Allianz Commercial announces new global and regional leadership roles
Allianz Commercial is announcing new leadership roles, focusing on driving market-facing activities for clients and brokers, and establishing a new structure to drive growth in the Benelux and Nordics regions. With effect from August 1, 2025, Elke Vagenende, currently Regional Managing Director, Benelux and Nordics, is appointed to the new role of Chief Client Officer. She will also continue as Regional Managing Director, Benelux, until September 1 when she hands over to Jonathan Poole who joins Allianz from Chubb and takes over her responsibilities in Benelux. In parallel, Tom Leonard is appointed as Global Head of Broker Management, as of August 1. Both Elke Vagenende and Tom Leonard will be based in London and are part of Allianz Commercial’s Global Distribution team, led by Jeremy Sharpe. Martin Zschech, Global Head of Industry Solutions and Client Management, will continue to work on all client-related topics with an increased focus on the Private Equity segment.
A new Nordics region will also now be established with effect from August 1, 2025, led by Margaretha Mo as Regional Managing Director. This new structure of separate Benelux and Nordics regions reflects the market potential in both regions, now with dedicated teams serving each, as well as reflecting their different market characteristics and practices.
These moves reinforce Allianz Commercial’s market-facing strategy, serving clients and brokers across the combined Commercial insurance segment, covering Mid Corporate, Large Corporate and Specialty risks.
Chief Client Officer: Elke Vagenende
Since 2023, Elke Vagenende has been Regional Managing Director of Benelux and Nordics. She will now lead the global client management activities of Allianz Commercial in the new role of Chief Client Officer. A Belgian national, she has extensive experience in senior market-facing roles, both in underwriting and broking, including six years at Allianz in Market Management and in Financial Lines in the UK, and previously worked for 12 years as a risk manager for large multinationals (BP, Siemens).
Global Head of Broker Management: Tom Leonard
Currently Global Broker Account Director for Allianz Commercial, Tom Leonard will lead global broker management activities, ensuring strong trading relationships with Global, International and Key Regional Broker segments which are major contributors to Allianz Commercial’s existing portfolio and are key for future business growth. Prior to his current role, he held a range of progressively senior underwriting, trading and operational roles for Allianz UK, having joined the company as a graduate trainee in 2007. He is a British national.
Regional Managing Director Nordics: Margaretha Mo
Since 2024, Margaretha Mo has been Country Managing Director in the Nordics region at Allianz Commercial. She will now lead Nordics as a standalone region, with teams present in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, serving businesses across all Nordic countries. The Nordic region has high potential for Allianz Commercial, with a thriving market of companies operating across the region and increasingly with demand for multinational programs. A Swedish national, Margaretha Mo has 30 years’ industry experience in various roles at both insurers and brokers across the Nordics market including in leadership positions.
Benelux: Jonathan Poole
Previously Chubb’s Head of Mid-Market Division, UK and Ireland, Jonathan Poole with over 30 years’ experience in a range of leadership roles in corporate and international insurance, having held pan-European leadership roles with Chubb and MSIG, will take over the responsibilities of Elke Vagenende for the Benelux region. He will be based in Belgium.
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About Allianz Commercial
Allianz Commercial is the center of expertise and global line of Allianz Group for insuring mid-sized businesses, large enterprises and specialist risks. Among our customers are the world’s largest consumer brands, financial institutions and industry players, the global aviation and shipping industry, as well as family-owned and medium enterprises, which are the backbone of the economy. We also cover unique risks such as offshore wind parks, infrastructure projects or film productions.
Powered by the employees, financial strength, and network of the world’s #1 insurance brand Allianz, as ranked by Interbrand, we work together to help our customers prepare for what’s ahead: They trust us to provide a wide range of traditional and alternative risk transfer solutions, outstanding risk consulting and multinational services as well as seamless claims handling.
The trade name Allianz Commercial brings together the large corporate insurance business of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) and the commercial insurance business of national Allianz Property & Casualty entities serving mid-sized companies. We are present in over 200 countries and territories either though our own teams or the Allianz Group network and partners. In 2023, the integrated business of Allianz Commercial generated around €18 billion in gross premium globally.
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