The former head of reinsurance at Endurance in London and chief executive officer of Novae Re has been appointed CEO of Q-Re, the Doha-based reinsurance company that intends to set up operations in Bermuda later this year.Gunther Saacke took up his post on Sunday. He assumes the role as Q-Re embarks on an expansion programme, which was outlined in parent company Qatar Insurance Company’s recently revealed five-year plan.In a statement Q-Re said Mr Saacke will “lead a team of senior and well-known reinsurance professionals in order to transform Q-Re into a global multi-line reinsurer with a focus on speciality lines. The new CEO and his team are committed to establishing Q-Re as a leading global reinsurance franchise based in Doha, Qatar, with offices in Zurich, London and Bermuda”.Mr Saake succeeds Ewen McRobbie, who led Q-Re since last April and is now taking on new responsibilities with QIC Group.“I am excited about the opportunity to help build the first truly global reinsurer which originates from the emerging markets,” said Mr Saake, in a statement.“Q-Re will have a global presence, underwrite risks across all major lines and territories and issue lead quotations based on our proprietary pricing and analytical capabilities.“To our clients we will be a dependable partner who offers superior underwriting skills and line of business expertise. Our portfolio will reflect rigorous risk selection criteria and an embedded risk management culture. In combination with our strong and distinct capital base, we aim for nothing less than a position among the top 10 players of the global reinsurance industry by 2025.”Mr Saacke has more than two decades of international reinsurance experience. After working for Endurance in London he went on to lead Novae Re, a multi-line reinsurance operation in the Lloyd’s market.Khalifa Abdulla Turki Al Subaey, group president and CEO of Qatar Insurance Company and Q-Re’s managing director, said: “It is our aspiration to grow Q-Re into a leading global reinsurance company acknowledged for quality capital, technical expertise, customer focus and thought leadership. We are delighted that Gunther has come on board to lead this effort. He will be able to rely on a strong, globally renowned team of reinsurance professionals. Beyond our commercial objectives we also believe that Q-Re’s growth will contribute to establishing Qatar as a reinsurance hub to be reckoned with.”Q-Re’s senior team members were named last November. Their specific roles in the company are to be announced in due course, according to the company statement.Last week Economic Development Minister Dr Grant Gibbons and Business Bermuda CEO Cheryl Packwood welcomed the news that Q-Re intended to extend its operations to Bermuda.