Italian insurer Generali has hired a new chief executive officer for its Hong Kong life unit.

Generali Asia has appointed Cecilia Chang as CEO of Generali Life (Hong Kong) and general manager of Assicurazioni Generali Hong Kong branch, according to a statement. Based in Hong Kong, she reports to Roberto Leonardi, Generali's regional officer for Asia.

Chang first joined Generali in 2016 as its head of financial lines and underwriting for Asia before relocating to Milan in 2018 to become the global head of financial lines & underwriting for global corporate and commercial. She started her insurance career as a corporate lawyer for a Chicago-based carrier before taking on underwriting leadership positions at multinational carriers in the US and Asia.

Established in 1831, Generali is present in 50 countries with 75,000 employees generating a total premium income of 75.8 billion euros ($79 billion) in 2021. It was first registered as an authorized insurer in Hong Kong in 1981 and extended the business into the life insurance sector in 2016.