Guidewire names Suresh Raman APAC regional vice president

Guidewire has appointed Suresh Raman as Regional Vice President for Sales (APAC), strengthening its senior leadership in Asia Pacific as insurers in the region increase investment in digital and cloud-based systems.

Raman will be based in Sydney. He will oversee sales and business development across Asia Pacific.

The role covers Guidewire's commercial strategy in markets including Australia, Japan, ASEAN and India. Raman will also focus on relationships with partners and channel organisations across the region.

Guidewire supplies software platforms for property and casualty insurers. The company works with customers in more than 40 countries.

Regional remit

Guidewire said Raman will set the strategic direction for sales in Asia Pacific. He will be responsible for growth targets in the region.

His remit includes new business and expansion with existing customers. It also includes partner-led routes to market.

Raman has more than two decades of experience in financial services technology across Asia Pacific. He has worked with banks, insurers and other financial institutions across multiple markets.

His background covers core applications, cloud-based platforms and artificial intelligence tools. He has held roles that involved regional expansion and large-scale client engagements.

Background in SaaS

Raman joins Guidewire from Temenos, the banking software group. He was Head of SaaS for APAC at Temenos.

In that role he led software-as-a-service growth in the region. His work focused on subscription-based cloud deployments for banks.

Before Temenos, Raman held positions at Amazon Web Services and Oracle. These roles covered cloud infrastructure and enterprise software sales.

Guidewire said his previous positions included work across diverse geographies and client segments. It said he had led engagements with large financial institutions and won major accounts.

Shaji Sethu is Senior Vice President and Managing Director of APAC at Guidewire. He said Raman's experience would support the firm's expansion plans in the region.

"Suresh Raman's deep leadership experience and proven track record helping scale financial services organisations throughout APAC will be invaluable as we look to grow and expand in Australia, Japan, the ASEAN countries, and the broader Asia region, such as India. Not only does he understand the intricacies across APAC cultures, business practices, and economies, but his astute understanding of our diverse customer base in the region will be a key differentiator as we continue to support insurance professionals to bring AI to every part of the insurance lifecycle," said Sethu.

Digital insurance focus

Insurers in Asia Pacific are increasing spending on digital claims, underwriting and policy administration systems. Many are shifting core platforms into the cloud and adding new analytics and AI tools.

Guidewire positions its software as a central system for property and casualty insurers. Its products support policy, billing and claims processes.

The firm also operates a marketplace that connects insurers with third-party applications. These applications sit on top of Guidewire's core systems.

Raman said his new role comes at a time of change in the regional insurance sector. He referred to the impact of digital technology on product design and customer service.

"I am excited to join Guidewire at this pivotal moment as the Asia Pacific insurance market is poised for significant growth and change, underpinned by digitalisation as a key enabler for delivering innovative products and exceptional experiences. My focus will be on establishing and strengthening partnerships with insurers across the region to accelerate their digital initiatives, harness the power of cloud and AI, and deliver meaningful impact for customers and communities. Guidewire's strong culture of innovation and collaboration deeply resonates with me, and I am eager to contribute to its continued growth and leadership in the region," said Raman.

Guidewire works with more than 570 insurers globally. It continues to expand in Asia Pacific as regional carriers modernise their technology stacks and explore broader use of cloud and AI in underwriting and claims.