HDI Global SE appoints Thomas Kropp as chief operating officer and chief information officer with effect from 1 July 2026, succeeding Dr Thomas Kuhnt, who steps down from the executive board on 30 June.
As part of the same reshuffle, responsibility for the Corporate & Specialty insurer's captive services business passes to executive board member Dr Dirk Höring.
International Programmes, also previously held by Kuhnt, transfers to David Hullin, executive board member for the international regions outside Germany and the USA.
The Hannover-based unit of the Talanx Group says Kuhnt is leaving at his own request, following a joint agreement, to take up a new professional opportunity outside the group. Kropp brings more than two decades of leadership experience in insurance and technology, with senior global IT, infrastructure and operations roles in the US, Asia and Europe.
Höring already oversees property, engineering, marine and HDI Risk Consulting. The wider reshuffle sits within the insurer's Xcelerate29 corporate strategy and its focus on the core business. Pricing & Analytics transfers to Dr Renate Strasser, alongside her existing specialty remit and the global accident & health book. Dr Mukadder Erdönmez takes responsibility for the USA market in addition to liability, motor and cyber. Dr Barbara Klimaszewski-Blettner adds Austria and Switzerland to her existing German remit, giving her the full DACH region, and also assumes responsibility for the People & Culture unit. AI is consolidated under chief executive officer Dr Edgar Puls. Chief financial officer Dr Stefan Pasternak's responsibilities are unchanged.
Torsten Leue, chief executive officer of Talanx AG and chairman of HDI Global's supervisory board, says: "I would like to extend a warm welcome to Thomas Kropp and look forward to working with him in this strategically important area. At the same time, I would like to thank Thomas Kuhnt for his outstanding commitment over many years."
Puls says of the incoming COO/CIO: "His extensive expertise will help to further strengthen our structures and processes across countries and to sustainably enhance the technological foundation of our business." Of Kuhnt's departure, Puls adds: "Thanks to his commitment, HDI Global has developed into one of the leading global Corporate & Specialty insurers."
Kropp says: "What convinced me was the combination of corporate culture, momentum and high performance. Together with teams around the world, I want to build on this and consistently advance the digital transformation, with a clear focus on added value for our clients and brokers."
The new board line-up is subject to approval by Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, BaFin. HDI Global's Corporate & Specialty division generated approximately €10.3 billion in gross insurance revenue in 2025 under IFRS 17, and runs roughly 5,400 International Programmes for multinational clients.
