A former Prudential executive has been named as Zurich chief executive for the UK.

Tulsi Naidu will lead the overall UK business as its General Insurance and Life functions are further integrated.

Ms Naidu joined Zurich as head of business development for EMEA in September.

She said: “I’ve only been with Zurich for a short time, but can already see what a fantastic organisation it is. I’m really looking forward to leading the teams as we build on this strong business in the UK.”

She has over 20 years of financial services experience, most recently with Prudential where she held a number of executive positions in its UK and Europe business.

Before then, she worked for Credit Suisse First Boston Investment Banking in Singapore, ICICI in Mumbai, and began her career at Arthur Andersen.

Ms Naidu is a graduate from Nizam College in Hyderabad, and completed her MBA at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.

She will report to Gary Shaughnessy, CEO for Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA).

He said: “As we continue to transform Zurich, I believe Tulsi has the right mix of business knowledge, fresh perspective and strong and engaging leadership skills required to drive us forward in the UK.

“The UK is a hugely important market to Zurich and having an integrated business here under single leadership will help us operate in a less complex and more sustainable way.

“The landscape is changing, and Tulsi will lead our commitment to distributors and customers to make sure we continue to serve this market from a position of strength.”