Qatar Re chief executive officer Michael van der Straaten has been appointed CEO of QIC Global (International), effective from the beginning of March.It is a year since he took over the reins at Bermudian-based Qatar Re following the resignation of Gunter Saacke.Mr Van der Straaten has held senior roles at Canopius Group, Chubb and QIC Europe, and first joined the Lloyd’s market in 1984. He joined Qatar Re in 2016, and quickly became chief underwriter officer, long-tail and speciality classes.QIC Global is the international specialty insurance and reinsurance subsidiary of Qatar Insurance Group.Mr van der Straaten will remain CEO of Qatar Re, and Sunil Talwar stays as QIC Global chairman.Joe Battle, CEO of Antares, QIC Global’s Lloyd’s specialist insurance and reinsurance entity, will report to Mr Van der Straaten. Mr Talwar said: “Qatar Re and Antares are both poised for long-term growth, with an established operational platform in QIC Global and the firm financial backing of QIC Group.“Mike has overseen the transformation of Qatar Re into a global multi-line reinsurer with a sustainable, profitable portfolio of business and we are very pleased he will be leading QIC Global into the next phase of its expansion.” Mr Van der Straaten said: “Antares and Qatar Re are both fantastic underwriting platforms, with a diverse range of income streams, a wealth of talent and established reputations at Lloyd’s and internationally. With market conditions improving markedly, I look forward to working with Joe and Sunil to grow the business further.”