Assurant, Inc. announced that Gene Mergelmeyer, chief operating officer, with 34 years of tenure with the company, plans to retire at the end of 2021. As a result, president and incoming CEO Keith Demmings is announcing leadership appointments to support its go-forward business strategy. The appointments, all of which will be effective January 1, 2022, are focused on advancing Assurant’s business strategy and market leadership in the connected world with a focus on delivering superior customer experiences. Keith Meier, president, Assurant International will succeed Mergelmeyer as COO. Federico Bunge, president of Assurant’s Latin America operations will succeed Meier to lead International and will report to Biju Nair, EVP and recently named president, Global Connected Living. The appointments, all of which will be effective January 1, 2022, are focused on advancing Assurant’s business strategy and market leadership in the connected world with a focus on delivering superior customer experiences. Keith Meier, president, Assurant International will succeed Gene Mergelmeyer who after more than three decades with the company has decided to retire as chief operating officer at year-end. Federico Bunge, president of Assurant’s Latin America operations will succeed Meier to lead International and will report to Biju Nair, president, Global Connected Living. Keith Meier will assume the chief operating officer role at the start of 2022. Meier has led the expansion and profitable growth of Assurant’s global operations including defining a path toward market-leading positions in Japan and Australia, while strengthening operations in LatAm, Canada and Europe. He has served as senior vice president, Global Strategy and M&A between 2013 and 2016, led the Emerging Markets business, focused on Asia-Pacific, and also held responsibility for extended service and vehicle service contract businesses. His deep strategic and business acumen, coupled with a relentless focus on talent and profitable growth across the world position him for success in the COO role. Federico Bunge, currently president of Assurant Latin America, will succeed Meier to lead the company’s international business operations.
Assurant, Inc. is a life insurance group organized around 3 areas of activities:
- insurance-credit (78.4% of revenues): including life, disability and unemployment, debt protection administration services, warranties and extended service contracts and life insurance policies;
- specialty property insurance (21.5%): creditor-placed homeowners insurance and manufactured housing homeowners insurance;
- other (0.1%).
ASSURANT, INC. 
