HDI Global names Thomas Kropp COO and CIO in strategic reset

HDI Global has put Thomas Kropp in charge of both operations and technology, naming him chief operating officer and chief information officer effective July 1, 2026. He will succeed Dr. Thomas Kuhnt, who steps down from the Executive Board on June 30, 2026 and is leaving for a new professional opportunity outside the Talanx Group.

The move matters because HDI Global is not treating this as a routine succession. The company said the board responsibility change is being made in line with Xcelerate29, its strategy cycle for 2026 to 2029, and that the goal is to support excellence in the core business while strengthening the foundation for profitable growth and long-term stability. In practical terms, folding COO and CIO into one role puts process redesign, platform choices, and execution discipline under one accountable leader. That is the real signal here: HDI Global is pulling technology governance closer to underwriting, claims and operating rhythm, rather than leaving it as a back-office support function.

Kropp arrives with more than two decades of global leadership experience in insurance and technology. HDI Global said his background includes senior roles across global IT, infrastructure and operations in the United States, Asia and Europe, a profile that fits a carrier trying to standardize how it runs systems across borders without flattening local execution. Dr. Edgar Puls said Kropp’s experience should help strengthen structures and processes across countries and enhance the technology foundation of the business.

Kuhnt’s departure closes an eight-year stretch in which HDI Global said he played a decisive role in digital transformation, pricing and international programmes. Torsten Leue thanked him for helping position HDI Global as a leading international corporate and specialty insurer. That history matters because the company is now asking whether the next phase of transformation needs tighter governance, not just new tools.

Xcelerate29 is built around three dimensions, Trusted Global Player, Next-level Excellence and Forward-thinking Organisation, and HDI Global says it will invest in people, processes and technology while using digitalisation and AI to elevate service delivery. The company, which says it has roughly 5,000 colleagues worldwide, is also prioritizing speed and quality in underwriting and claims decisions, a lean operating model, and fast pathways to decisions. Industry coverage has identified North America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East as priority growth regions, with aviation, crisis management, surety and credit insurance among the focus areas. Putting COO and CIO together under that plan suggests HDI Global wants modernization decisions made faster, with fewer handoffs and clearer accountability across the full insurance stack.