Athene has appointed Larik Hall as senior vice-president and head of Japan as the Bermudian-based retirement solutions company looks to expand its presence in one of the world's largest retirement markets.

Mr Hall, who will be based in Japan, will lead Athene's growth strategy in the country and oversee the expansion.

Grant Kvalheim, Athene's chief executive, said Japan represented a key market because of its ageing population, increasing demand for retirement security and changing economic environment.

He added: "Larik's strong track record of building retirement businesses and meaningful experience leading large-scale insurance platforms in the Japanese market makes him exceptionally well suited to expand Athene's footprint locally."

Mr Hall brings more than 30 years of experience in the retirement industry, including more than a decade working in the Japanese market.

Before joining Athene, he was a managing director at Goldman Sachs Ayco, where he led the insurance practice. He has also held senior leadership roles at American International Group, MetLife Alico and MassMutual.

Mr Hall said he was joining the company at an important time for Japan's retirement market.

He said: “Japan is one of the world's most sophisticated insurance markets, with unique demographic and retirement needs. I look forward to building on the company's strong foundation, deepening trusted relationships and delivering new and needed retirement solutions at scale to support Japan's long-term retirement security.”

Athene said it has reinsured more than $20 billion in assets across eight transactions with Japanese cedents since completing its first deal in the market in 2020.

The company said the transactions have helped insurers manage risk, improve efficiency and develop new products for policyholders.