Zurich names CIO for Australia and New Zealand

Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich) has appointed Deepak Budhiraja as its new chief information officer (CIO) for Australia and New Zealand.

Budhiraja has over 20 years of experience holding senior roles dedicated to digital transformation within the financial services industry, including as the CIO and chief client officer (CCO) at Sun Life Vietnam, and director of technology at Sun Life’s Asia Service Centre supporting the Canadian and Asian business units. Previously, he spent over 10 years n DXC Technology’s life insurance practice, consulting for clients in the United States, Singapore, and India.

Budhiraja is currently the chief information and technology officer for Hong Kong, Singapore and Bermuda at Sun Life Financial. In his new role at Zurich, he will relocate from Hong Kong to Sydney and commence his appointment on January 16, 2023.

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Hilary Bates, chief operating officer (COO) at Zurich Australia and New Zealand, has welcomed Budhiraja to the Australian/NZ team.

“Deepak brings an impressive breadth of international experience to this role, including a strong capability in formulating digital roadmaps and a passion for innovation and customers,” Bates said. “We very much look forward to Deepak joining in the new year and welcoming him as a key member of the local Zurich team.”

Zurich is a leading multi-line insurer serving people and businesses in over 210 countries and territories. Aside from providing insurance coverage, the company increasingly offers prevention services, such as promoting wellbeing and enhancing climate resilience. The recent announcement follows Zurich Insurance Group’s appointment of a new group chief underwriting officer (CUO), effective January 1, 2023.