Zurich Financial Services Australia, the Australian arm of the global insurance giant Zurich Insurance Group, has announced the appointment of James Garrett as head of small and medium enterprises (SME) for general insurance in Australia & New Zealand.
In his new role, Garrett will be tasked with leading Zurich’s SME insurance strategy in Australia and New Zealand.
He brings over 12 years of experience at Zurich, having held various SME underwriting roles. Most recently, he served as digital portfolio manager, where he oversaw a large portfolio of SME clients, refining Zurich’s digital offering in the sector.
Garrett’s tenure has been marked by a strong focus on digital transformation and broker engagement, making him well-positioned to evolve Zurich’s SME proposition further. His experience in building long-standing broker relationships is expected to drive both continuity and innovation in the company’s SME strategy.
The move coincides with the promotion of Theo Pitsikas to a newly created regional position as head of SME, APAC.
Pitsikas, previously head of the SME team in Australia, has been appointed to lead SME strategy across the Asia-Pacific region. His new role as head of SME, APAC, marks a strategic step as Zurich aims to scale its SME footprint across regional markets. Garrett will remain based in Sydney, while Pitsikas will relocate to Singapore.
The appointments will take effect from 16 June, 2025. Zurich’s leadership transition aims to support its ambition to remain a market leader in SME insurance solutions both locally and regionally.
Zurich head of general insurance Alex Morgan said, “I am very pleased to welcome James to lead Zurich’s SME team, where he will be responsible for evolving our customer offering, engaging closely with brokers and accelerating technological investment.”
“James brings a wealth of SME experience and understanding to this role, including more than a decade of developing local broker relationships. This will bring both continuity and a fresh perspective as we seek to further advance our proposition and competitive position.”
“I also want to congratulate and thank Theo for his excellent leadership of Zurich’s SME team for more than eight years, which has seen Zurich grow to be considered a leader in this space. Theo’s appointment is both an excellent professional opportunity and an important strategic step forward that will see Zurich’s commitment to the SME market strengthen and scale in the region,” Morgan said.
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