Dr Kai-Uwe Schanz

Dr. Kai-Uwe Schanz is Chief Communication & Corporate Development Officer at Switzerland-based reinsurer Converium. In this function, he is responsible for Corporate Communications, Investor Relations and Strategy Development & Planning. Prior to joining Converium in June 2004, Kai-Uwe Schanz spent almost nine years at Swiss Re serving in different functions such as Chief Economist Asia (based in Hong Kong) and Head of Communications Content & Channels Management (based in Zurich). He started his professional career as a project manager at the Swiss Institute of International Economic Affairs at the University of St. Gallen. In this capacity, Kai-Uwe Schanz conducted various strategic consulting projects for Swiss government entities, industry associations and multinational companies focusing on issues surrounding international trade. In addition, he acted as a lecturer in International Economics.

Kai-Uwe Schanz has published extensively, for example in Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, The Review, Reinsurance, Asia Insurance Review, National Underwriter and the Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance. He also has frequently presented at prestigious conference events such as the International Insurance Society’s Annual Seminars, the Asia Insurance Review’s CEO Summits and the World Economic Forum’s Regional Summits.

Dr. Schanz holds a Ph.D. degree in economics from the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). In 2003 he was appointed Research Fellow at the China Center for Insurance and Social Security Research at Beijing University. He is also the winner of the 2005 Geneva Association/International Insurance Society Research Award.