Viva Insurance Brokers has hired Dr Sonja de Pattenden as chief operating officer.
She has more than 30 years of work experience in sales, private banking, financial services and insurance (life and medical) both in the UK and the UAE.
Most recently de Pattenden (pictured) was regional head of employee benefits at RMS Group in the UAE for more than two years.
Prior to that, de Pattenden was regional employee benefits director for two years at Axa Insurance (Gulf), for the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, based in the UAE.
And prior to that she was the general manager for Axa for the Middle East and Africa, a role he held for nine years.
Via LinkedIn de Pattenden said: “I am happy to share that I have joined Viva Insurance Brokers as their chief operating officer.
“It is such as pleasure to work alongside colleagues such as Ahmed Osman, Alex Reuter, Maya Taha Gazal, Alexander OP Blom etc. and to be involved in enhancing their operational efficiencies, spearheading new initiatives and continuing to deliver on exceptional value and service to our clients and partners.”
Viva Insurance said: “We are excited to announce that Dr Sonja de Pattenden has joined Viva Insurance as our new chief operating officer.
“Sonja brings over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, with a strong focus on the Middle East.
“Her extensive background and proven leadership have consistently demonstrated her ability to drive growth, build strong client relationships, and lead high-performing teams.
“As COO Sonja will be instrumental in enhancing our operational efficiency and spearheading new initiatives to ensure we continue delivering exceptional value to our clients and partners. Her expertise and leadership will undoubtedly propel Viva Insurance to new heights.
“We’re thrilled to have her on board.”
Viva Insurance Brokers was established in Dubai in 2016, and specialises in the high net worth segment across the MENA region providing solutions for employee benefits, property and casualty insurance and risk management services.