Lockton today announced the appointment of Siva Thangavelu as Chief Operating Officer of Lockton Sime Malaysia, bringing more than 20 years of financial services experience across banking and insurance to the region’s fastest‑growing independent brokerage. A seasoned transformation and operations leader, Siva has a proven track record in strategy execution, operational excellence, and large‑scale organizational change.
Most recently, Siva joined Swiss Re as Head of Strategy & Operations KL and later took on the role of Centre of Expertise Lead within Operational Resilience & Governance, focusing on regulatory alignment of the outsourcing portfolio and improving operational efficiency, alongside leading local cultural transformation and inclusion initiatives.
Prior to Swiss Re, Siva held senior roles at CIMB, Marsh McLennan, Royal Bank of Canada, and HSBC, where he led and supported major transformation initiatives across Asia Pacific. Over the past 18 years, he has trained more than 600 individuals in a range of process improvement methodologies and, through continuous improvement programmes and team leadership, has delivered and coached hundreds of projects across functions, including automation, customer journey enhancements, and operational performance improvements.
At Marsh, he led the Operations & Technology team across Malaysia and Indonesia, managing a 50-member team and driving automation, efficiency gains, and service-delivery enhancements. His earlier roles at RBC and HSBC included establishing the operational performance improvement team at HSBC, pioneering capacity modelling capabilities across both organisations, and at RBC, leading the enterprise-wide business process management and Lean visual management practice.
Siva holds an MBA from the University of Strathclyde and is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt, recognized for fostering client‑centric, high‑performing cultures and delivering sustainable operational impact through innovation and inclusive leadership.
Beyond his professional achievements, Siva is committed to community impact. As a certified mental health first aider, he has led company-wide mental health initiatives, spearheaded digital-inclusion programmes providing refurbished devices to underserved communities and schools, and championed CSR projects supporting indigenous villages with solar power and enabling access to clean drinking water.
Siva joins Lockton Sime at a pivotal moment as the organization accelerates its growth ambitions, strengthens operational resilience, and enhances service delivery across Malaysia.
“Siva’s breadth of experience across global financial institutions and his demonstrated leadership in driving transformation make him an exceptional addition to our leadership team,” said Nicholas Lee, CEO of Lockton Sime Malaysia. “His expertise will further elevate our operational capabilities and support our continued growth across the region.”