- Dr Martin Setzer is leaving Viridium on his own initiative, following completion of the IT modernisation of Proxalto Lebensversicherung
- Supervisory Board Chairman Dr Heinz-Peter Roß: “Martin Setzer has developed Viridium IT into a powerful platform.”
Viridium Group, a leading specialist in the efficient management of life insurance portfolios, has appointed Jörg Günther (55) as its new CTO effective February 1, 2023. In his current role as Global Head of Securities Services Technology with Citigroup in London, he is responsible for the bank’s worldwide securities platform. He managed the ongoing technological improvement of its IT systems, which became a key driver of growth for the division. Viridium will benefit from Jörg Günther’s expertise as a highly successful manager of modernising complex IT systems and executing data migrations.
Jörg Günther will succeed Dr Martin Setzer (57) who is leaving the company on his own initiative to pursue a new professional opportunity. After the IT modernisation of Proxalto Lebensversicherung has been completed, Setzer will hand over his responsibilities as CIO to his successor and leave at the end of the first quarter of 2023.
Jörg Günther is a proven expert for complex IT platforms
Jörg Günther has more than 25 years of experience in the modernisation and management of complex customer-facing IT platforms. He has repeatedly managed challenging migration processes and extensive modernisations of legacy systems. His longstanding experience in software development – combined with his expertise in IT strategy and architecture – has enabled him to create highly efficient, scalable and future-proof software solutions.
Jörg Günther is joining Viridium from Citigroup where he has served as Global Head of Securities Services Technology since 2019, with worldwide responsibility for IT of that division. Previous roles included several management positions with Northern Trust, most recently as Chief Technology Officer EMEA and Chief Information Officer Corporate & Institutional Services. Jörg Günther studied in Switzerland and holds a degree in information technology.
Martin Setzer managed the largest IT modernisation in the life insurance sector
Martin Setzer joined Viridium Group as CIO in April 2018. Since then, he has aligned the IT organisation, its processes and governance with the business model of Viridium and developed it into a powerful platform. This systems landscape allows Viridium to execute major integration and transformation projects. Martin Setzer thereby created the conditions for the IT modernisation of Proxalto Lebensversicherung, which encompassed the renewal of its entire systems landscape and the highly complex technical migration of 2.2 million life insurance policies to the Viridium platform. This was the largest and most demanding project of this kind ever implemented in Germany. The IT modernisation of Proxalto allows the efficient, stable and sustainable management of the portfolio in the interests of policyholders. Martin Setzer was previously responsible for the successful implementation of IT modernisation projects for Heidelberger Leben and Entis Lebensversicherung.
Supervisory Board Chairman Dr Heinz-Peter Roß: “With Jörg Günther we have recruited a top-class technology expert. At the same time, we wish to express our sincere thanks to Martin Setzer for his outstanding contributions.”
“With the recruiting of Jörg Günther, we’re delighted to have gained a top-class technology expert for Viridium”, said Dr Heinz-Peter Roß, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Viridium Holding AG. “As new CTO, Jörg Günther will continue to enhance the functionality, stability and scalability of the Viridium IT platform to the benefit of life insurance customers in the long term.
During his tenure as CIO, Martin Setzer has developed an excellent basis for the future. With his overall responsibility for several demanding migration projects, he especially executed with the IT modernisation of Proxalto a groundbreaking project of unprecedented scale in the German life insurance sector. The experience developed through this project will drive future integration and migration capabilities of Viridium in the long run. We regret Martin’s departure, thank him for his exceptional work and wish him all the best with his future endeavours.”
