Leadership change - Mareen Hüffmeier Hands Over CEO Role to Jasper Havermans

After 28 years as CEO, Mareen Hüffmeier has handed over leadership of UNIBA Partners to Jasper Havermans. Mareen will remain active with UNIBA as a board director until 31 October. 

Jasper joined UNIBA three years ago as Head of Communication and Partnerships, working closely with Mareen, the head office team in Brussels and all of UNIBA’s stakeholders. His background in both communication and innovation makes him uniquely well positioned to take UNIBA forward.

The board’s decision to fill this critical role internally was not incidental. It reflects the thinking that drives UNIBA's development overall: a dedication to empowering Partners and the team that runs their network. For an organisation built on independence and long-term relationships, that consistency matters. 

On his appointment, Jasper Havermans said: 

"Three years ago, I entered the insurance world and UNIBA not knowing what to expect. What I found was a network built on relationships, trust, and long-term thinking. Along the way, I've had the chance to learn from people across the world and be part of something that is a genuine community. 

 

Taking on this role, I'm very aware of the foundation that has been built over the past decades. I'm grateful for the trust placed in me by Mareen, UNIBA’s board, the Brussels team, and the Partners, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with the entire network." 

Coming from an international broking background, Mareen joined UNIBA’s board in 1994 as its first female director. Over the three decades that followed, she was instrumental in building UNIBA into a global network of 80 independent broker firms — united by a very strong conviction that independent brokers can be a force for good in their community, and bring a unique focus, real care and quality solutions to their clients. 

"What I'm most proud of is not the size of the network, but the quality of the relationships within it  and how meaningful this truly is for our clients. We built an environment in which our Partners genuinely support one another, a principle which has been fundamental to UNIBA from day 1. It is hard to overstate the power of this simple idea consistently applied:  we see it at work in the impressive and consistent growth of our Partners and of the network. It's what I hope we protect above everything else." 

— Mareen Hüffmeier 

UNIBA goes into this next chapter with the same focus it has always had: supporting independent brokers to be the strong, trusted advisors to their clients need them to be – anywhere in the world.