Cambiaso Risso poaches Swedish Club veteran to spearhead expansion in Asia (source: Tradewinds)
Italian insurance broker is also expanding its shipbroking activity in Greece
The Italian group has appointed marine insurance veteran Lars Malm to spearhead a new office to be opened in Hong Kong.
He joins from the Swedish Club, where he spent over 25 years with senior positions in underwriting, claims and loss prevention.
Malm will be replaced as chief executive and area manager of the Swedish Club’s Hong Kong branch by Julia Ju, currently head of claims at the club’s Hong Kong branch.
The move follows Cambiaso Risso’s shipbroking division, Genoa Sea Brokers (GSB), announcing plans to enter the Greek shipbroking sector.
The Italian has appointed veteran Italian shipbroker Gian Luca Rossi to head a new shipbroking desk based in Piraeus.
The Athens desk will complement the UK chartering desk. GSB was established last year under Neil Underhill.
Hong Kong office
The opening of Cambiaso Risso’s Hong Kong office will, pending regulatory approval, help fuel part long-term expansion strategy across the extended Asia-Pacific region, said chairman Marco Risso.
“The opening of our Hong Kong office will further strengthen our solid position in Asia and facilitate our ambition to grow further,” added Mauro Iguera, CEO of Cambiaso Risso Group.
Cambiaso Risso launched its expansion in Asia some 15 years ago with the establishment of Cambiaso Risso Asia in Singapore.
The company followed that with the launch of an Indonesian office in 2024 and plans to make an imminent entry into the Philippines.
The shake-up at the Swedish Club also sees Jason Wu appointed as regional director, underwriting (Greater China).
Professionalism
Commenting on the changes, the Swedish Club’s managing director, Thomas Nordberg praised Malm for his “professionalism, dedication and vision”.
His replacement, Ju, is “an exceptional leader with deep expertise in marine insurance and a proven track record of service excellence”, he added.
“Her international background, legal acumen and decades of experience in P&I [protection and indemnity] claims handling uniquely position her for this role,” said Nordberg.
Cambiaso Risso now services up to 11,000 vessels from 50 countries.
The Italian group managed a premium volume of over $1bn and generated $90m in net revenue across broking, consultancy, shipbroking and shipping agency services.
