Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited has announced Gobinath Athappan as the new chairman and chief executive officer of Fairfax Asia. Additionally, Athappan will become chairman of Singapore Re, subject to regulatory approval. Athappan has been a part of Fairfax and Fairfax Asia for 23 years. Throughout his tenure, he has held significant roles, including CEO positions at Fairfax’s Falcon Insurance in Hong Kong and Pacific Insurance in Malaysia. Since 2015, he has served as vice-chairman of Fairfax Asia.
Prem Watsa, chairman and CEO of Fairfax, welcomed Athappan to his new role and praised his contributions to the company. Watsa highlighted Athappan's integral role in building Fairfax Asia and his extensive industry experience. “Gobi has done an outstanding job for Fairfax and has been an integral part of building Fairfax Asia. Gobi brings many years of industry experience and has been an ambassador of the culture of Fairfax. We are very excited for the future of Fairfax Asia under Gobi’s leadership,” Watsa stated.
Fairfax is a holding company engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance through its subsidiaries, as well as associated investment management. In May, Fairfax mourned the passing of Ramaswamy Athappan, the previous chairman and CEO of Fairfax Asia Limited. He was a key figure in developing Fairfax’s insurance operations in Southeast Asia.
Earlier, in March, Fairfax also announced the death of Eric P. Salsberg, vice president of corporate affairs and corporate secretary, who had been with the company since 1988. Watsa described Salsberg as a central figure in the company’s history, saying, “For all of Fairfax’s history, Ricky has acted as our consigliere and has always represented the true heart and soul of the company. He loved Fairfax and we would not have achieved the success we have without him. Ricky was our partner, trusted friend, and indispensable adviser for 38 years, and all of us here at Fairfax loved him, as did his family, friends, neighbours, and business colleagues.”