Global insurer MAPFRE today announces the appointment of Leire Jiménez as the new Group Chief Innovation Officer wef 1 September, a position she will hold concurrently with her current role as CEO of MAWDY, the company’s assistance business unit. 

Six years after its founding, MAPFRE Open Innovation is embarking on a new phase to continue enhancing business development and decision-making, as well as to ensure MAPFRE adds value to its customers by anticipating market trends and needs.

Leire Jiménez, with 20 years of experience in the industry, will now lead this phase, having developed her career at both the national and international levels in markets such as the UK, France and Asia, holding different positions of responsibility at MAPFRE. She has been CEO of MAWDY since 2019.

She holds a Degree in Business Administration and Humanities from Deusto University (Spain), and has a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Flinders University (Australia). In addition to her strategic and managerial capacity, she has extensive knowledge of the insurance market and is a firm advocate of the power of innovation as a fundamental pillar for business growth.

Her appointment reflects the transformation that MAPFRE is undergoing to offer better service and greater value to customers, as well as the Group’s conscious drive for innovation through MAPFRE Open Innovation, a strategic lever of the company for more than half a decade, which is now pivoting toward a new stage in line with the changes being undertaken by the Group itself, as well as the industry, markets and society in general. 

In the six years since the creation of MAPFRE Open Innovation, numerous exercises have been carried out that have influenced the company’s strategy, and mechanisms, capabilities and talent have been developed with high technical rigor and an effective governance model. 

The mechanisms created, aimed at connecting with the Insurtech ecosystem and other relevant industry agents, have facilitated MAPFRE with an external and complementary vision, enriching business development and decision-making. This approach has been essential in enabling the company to keep up with emerging trends and opportunities. 

Leire Jiménez replaces José Antonio Arias, who remains as Group Chief Operational Transformation Officer.