The Berne Union, the international association for credit and investment insurers, has appointed new leaders.

Beatriz Reguero, COO of state account business at Spanish export credit agency, Cesce is now the Berne Union’s president, replacing Topi Vesteri of Finnvera, Finland’s ECA.

Meanwhile, Zhiqiang Huang, vice-president at Sinosure, replaces Mandisi Nkuhlu of ECIC South Africa as the association’s vice-president.

They were appointed at the Berne Union’s 2018 annual general meeting last week, which saw the previously elected officials completing their two-year terms.

Reguero has been with Cesce since 1999. Before that, she held various positions within the Spanish public administration, including the ministry of economy.

Speaking of her new role at the general meeting, she said: “Today the Berne Union is a much larger and diversified family, compared to when I first started attending. It is a time to continue to strengthen the ties among our members and to consolidate new relationships with other stakeholders in the credit insurance and the export finance world. I assume this new responsibility with a firm commitment to work with VP Huang to move the Berne Union forward and continue the great work undertaken by my predecessors.”

Outgoing president Vesteri, chief credit officer and deputy CEO of Finnvera, added: “In the coming years I have no doubt that the Berne Union will continue to flourish, and that under the able leadership of Beatriz Reguero and Mr Huang, we will continue to look outward and to build our influence and engagement within our own industry and that of our partners, clients and other stakeholders. This is the way that we can effect real, lasting and positive change.”