The International Union of Marine Insurers (IUMI) has a new president. As proposed, Sean M. Dalton of Munich Re was elected to succeed Frédéric Denèfle. One of his key priorities is skilled workers.
The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) elected Sean M. Dalton yesterday during the organisation’s annual conference in Rotterdam. He had already been nominated in August. Dalton was the sole candidate and will officially take up the post of President at the close of this year’s conference. His term of office is four years.
The IUMI currently represents 42 national associations as well as associations from the transport primary insurance and reinsurance sectors. “It is a great honour and, at the same time, a humbling responsibility to have been elected president of this 152-year-old association. Transport insurance is an excellent field of work that offers significant career opportunities to those starting out in their careers,” said Dalton following the election. Among the priorities of his presidency, he cites raising awareness of the sector and promoting its appeal as a rewarding career path. “Diversity and inclusion, training and professional development, artificial intelligence and sustainability will also feature prominently on my agenda,” said the new IUMI President, who thanked his predecessor, Frédéric Denèfle, for his “great dedication and commitment over the past four years”.
Dalton had previously served as IUMI Vice-President. This role is now taken over by Tom Shinya – Senior Expert in the Marine Underwriting department at Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance.
Dalton himself is based in New York and serves as Executive Vice President and Head of Marine Underwriting (North America) at Munich Reinsurance America. He is also Chairman of the American Institute of Marine Underwriters (AIMU). He is a former Chairman of the National Cargo Bureau (NCB) and a member of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
Dalton succeeds Frédéric Denèfle, who had held the office of IUMI President since 2022. The outgoing President said: “For me, this has been a fascinating and enriching journey. I have served as President during challenging and turbulent times, marked by sanctions, tariffs and conflicts, but also during periods of great optimism and new opportunities, such as those brought about by the rise of artificial intelligence and digitalisation.”
Marking the change at the helm of the IUMI, Secretary-General Lars Lange remarked: “It is always a moving moment when a President’s term of office comes to an end. I would like to thank Frédéric for his dedication and commitment to the IUMI. It has been a privilege to work with him on numerous issues and in many regions of the world. We will remember Frédéric as a defining figure.”
