Colleen Kanniah, is a seasoned insurance professional with 3 decades of experience in the insurance industry, specializing in various roles such as underwriting, reinsurance, risk management, and leadership across multiple sectors and regions globally. She is currently the CEO of Afro Asian Re SA (Pty) Ltd based in South Africa. Colleen is a Professional Member of the Insurance Institute of South Africa (IISA), the South African Insurance Association, and the South African Engineering Insurance Association. Colleen holds an Associateship (ACII) qualification, a Certificate of Proficiency, a Licentiateship with the IISA, a Management Diploma from GIBS, University of Pretoria, and an Executive Leadership qualification from the University of Cape Town, along with various insurance product certifications.
Colleen joined Marsh McLennan in November 2022, where she led the Multinational Practice managing global cross-functional projects aligning client strategies for optimal globalisation, with a multicultural team, and served as a global multinational advisory leader, responsible for retention, expansion, and service growth across seventy countries. Colleen headed the training and development of skills within Marsh SA’s Risk Management Practice, designing and executing technical CPD-accredited training.
Before joining Marsh, Colleen served as Senior Vice President, Facultative Reinsurance at Guy Carpenter from May 2020, where she led the Facultative Reinsurance team for Southern Africa. She successfully built and managed a profitable portfolio, delivering innovative solutions to insurance companies and clients across the IMEA region. Prior to Guy Carpenter, Colleen held leadership roles at Africa Re, including Head of Facultative Reinsurance, where she built a sustainable underwriting portfolio and led initiatives such as a highly acclaimed non-life seminar for delegates across Africa, and successfully contributed to thought leadership publications at Board and Exco.
Earlier in her career, Colleen served as Head of Energy & Engineered Risks, Global Property at AIG, Sub-Sahara, specializing in industries such as Oil & Gas, Mining, Construction and Renewable Energy. She managed portfolios for sustainable growth and profitability while leading teams to achieve strategic goals and propelling talent development.
Colleen’s career began in 1987, where she held various underwriting roles specializing in engineering underwriting, when she later joined Alexander Forbes Risk Services in 2001 as Technical Director, overseeing broking services, client service functions, and the development of insurance technical products. Throughout her career, Colleen has proved expertise in risk management, reinsurance, underwriting, client relationship management, and training and development. Her leadership and contributions have made her a respected figure in the insurance industry, both in South Africa and globally.
