Marsh has appointed Derek Heng as CEO of Marsh ASEAN, effective October 1, while Peta Latimer has been named CEO of Marsh Singapore with immediate effect, as the insurance broker expands its leadership structure across Southeast Asia.
Heng will retain his position as CEO of Marsh Thailand and report to David Jacob, CEO of Marsh Asia. Latimer will continue as president of Marsh’s People and Investments business in Asia alongside her new role and will also report to Jacob.
Marsh’s ASEAN operations span Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. In their expanded roles, Heng and Latimer will focus on strengthening collaboration across the broker’s risk, strategy, and people and investments capabilities, while supporting clients operating across the region.
Heng joined Marsh in 2015 and has held several leadership roles across Asia, including in private equity and mergers and acquisitions. He moved to Thailand in 2019 as chief integration officer for the Marsh-JLT integration and became CEO of Marsh Thailand in June 2022.
“ASEAN is an exciting and diverse region, where our clients are increasingly looking for advice and solutions that reflect both their local priorities and regional ambitions,” Heng said.
Latimer joined Marsh in 2018 as CEO of its People and Investments business in Singapore and became president of the division for Asia in 2023. Before joining Marsh, she was a partner at KPMG Singapore and held senior leadership roles at IBM.
Jacob said Southeast Asia’s growth, cross-market expansion and increasing investment were creating opportunities for Marsh to support businesses dealing with more complex risks.
“Both Derek and Peta’s deep understanding of the region, strong client focus, and proven leadership make them ideally placed to bring the best of Marsh’s capabilities to clients,” Jacob said.
The appointments come after Marsh acquired its Thailand joint venture in July, ending a nearly five-decade partnership with local shareholders. The business was subsequently renamed Marsh Risk (Thailand).
The latest leadership changes also follow Marsh’s appointment of Anna Scott as CEO of Marsh New Zealand earlier in September. Scott succeeded Toni Ferrier, who stepped down from the role at the end of August.