George Quinn will step down from his role as group chief financial officer at Swiss Re, effective April 30, 2014, and will assume the post of chief financial officer and member of the group executive committee at Zurich Insurance Group, the companies announced Monday.

George Quinn
George Quinn

A search for Quinn’s replacement has been initiated, according to Swiss Re.

Quinn for the last six years has served as the group chief financial officer and member of the group executive committee at Swiss Re, after holding various senior management positions at the company. He joined Swiss Re in 1999 as chief accounting officer.

Quinn started his career at KPMG in London, where he held several positions working with the insurance and reinsurance industry. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and holds a degree in engineering from the University of Strathclyde.

“George has been instrumental in implementing Swiss Re’s strategy and establishing the new company structure and operating model,” says Walter B. Kielholz, chairman of the board of directors at Swiss Re. “I would like to thank George for his decisive focus on capital management and on the company’s financial targets, which has strongly contributed to the leading position of Swiss Re today.”

Zurich said that Vibhu Sharma, Group Controller, will remain interim CFO until May 2014 when Quinn assumes his new position. Sharma took the interim CFO role after the previous CFO, Pierre Wauthier, committed suicide.