Liberty International Insurance has completed the consolidation of its general insurance licences across Asia-Pacific and moved to a single “Liberty” brand in several key markets, bringing together retail and commercial operations under one licensed entity in each country. The insurer, part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has combined its retail and commercial general insurance underwriting platforms in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and China. It now operates through a single Liberty-licensed entity in each of those markets. In Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia, the unified operations trade as “Liberty,” while existing brands continue in Malaysia, India, and China.

The latest step in the process is in Hong Kong, where Liberty Insurance and Liberty Specialty Markets have been brought under one insurance licence with effect from today. Earlier steps, effective Jan. 1, 2026, included unifying Singapore’s retail and commercial operations under Liberty Pte. Limited, consolidating all general insurance business in Malaysia under Liberty General Insurance Berhad, and moving renewal and new commercial (re)insurance business in China to Liberty Insurance.

Strategy centres on ‘One Liberty’ approach

Liberty describes the restructuring as part of its “One Liberty” ambition for Asia-Pacific, aimed at using a single brand and operating model across key markets. “2026 is a pivotal year for us across Asia-Pacific. We’ve achieved our goal to streamline our general insurance operations as one Liberty in each market – creating a simpler, stronger organisation for our customers and partners,” said Matthew Jackson (pictured), president, Liberty International Insurance Asia-Pacific.

Jackson said the move responds to overlap between Liberty-branded entities in the SME and mid-sized commercial segments. “As we have grown and expanded across the region, our different brands were overlapping in the SME and mid-sized commercial market. Having been a casualty underwriter myself for many years, I know how that played out day-to-day, and partners questioned which Liberty they were dealing with. Coming together as one Liberty takes away the confusion, allowing our clients to confidently know and trust one Liberty brand,” he said. He added that the formal branding follows how many distribution partners already refer to the group. “It’s also all about simplicity. We know our partners already call us Liberty, so it makes sense to become Liberty,” Jackson said.

What changes for brokers and other intermediaries

Liberty’s shift to a single licensed entity in each market is intended to change how they access products and underwriting teams, particularly for multi-line accounts. According to Jackson, it will be “very rewarding” for Liberty staff to see partners experience “fewer disjointed interactions when they contact the Liberty team.” He said that through their regular Liberty contact, agents, producers, brokers, cedants, and other partners will be able to access the full general insurance portfolio, from personal lines to commercial cover and solutions for large construction, corporate, and public-sector risks.

He added that the integrated structure is intended to support “broader, more integrated coverage options,” including both standard wordings and highly customised policies for larger and more complex programmes. The licence consolidation has been accompanied by changes in regional management. Jackson now leads an Asia-Pacific executive team created within the past two years to coordinate local operations and regional priorities. “Localisation remains key, but we also look for consistency and best practice in our approach in every step we take across the region, and globally. We’ve never been more globally aligned as one Liberty than we are right now, and this is only continuing and the momentum in our global group is truly exciting to be part of,” he said.

Mid-market focus and underwriting workflow

Liberty expects the new structure to be most visible in the middle market and on multi-line placements that previously involved multiple entities. “Previously, this would typically require coordination across the Liberty Insurance and Liberty Specialty Markets teams. Now, it all stays within the one underwriting workflow,” Jackson said. He said the group is concentrating on three internal priorities:

Enabling its retail distribution network to connect with specialist risks underwriters for larger and more complex accounts
Sharing practices across countries, teams, and markets
Extending the use of risk engineering and other services to support “solution-oriented wordings”

Jackson said Liberty has “one of the largest and most experienced risk engineering teams in the industry,” which supports underwriting decisions and client engagement. He pointed to the middle market as an area where brokers may see clearer appetite and fewer handoffs. Historically, separate SME and large corporate operations left a gap for mid-sized accounts. Jackson said that “bringing our retail, commercial, and specialty businesses together unlocks our ability to nimbly address the needs of this segment with clearer appetite guidance, fewer handoffs, smoother engagement, and deeper specialisation.”

Regional placements and multinational programmes

For multinational and regional programmes, Liberty is aiming to present a more consistent proposition to brokers placing risks across several Asian markets and beyond. “Having led teams in Hong Kong and Singapore, and having worked across the region for many years, I know consistency is key for any multinational or multi-territory program,” Jackson said. He said Liberty’s multinational capabilities are being developed in coordination with colleagues in China, the US, and Europe as clients expand their geographic footprint. The Asia-Pacific changes sit within the wider Liberty Mutual Insurance Group platform, which operates in 27 countries and economies and has more than 40,000 employees worldwide.