ING Insurance Asia/Pacific has promoted Paul Bedbrook, currently ING Australia chief executive, to ING Asia/Pacific chief executive with responsibility for Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Malaysia. The Dutch bank and insurer has the second largest footprint in the Asia Pacific region and the move has signalled an assault on regional market leader AIG. Mr Bedbrook, who will move to Hong Kong on 1 May 2008 after four years at the helm of ING Australia, is one of three chief executives appointed to drive a portfolio of countries. Ron van Oijen has responsibility for India, Korea and Thailand. A third chief executive, who is yet to be appointed, will have responsibility for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Mr Bedbrook will also have overall responsibility for ING's 51 per cent interest in ING Australia, the wealth management joint venture formed in 2002 between ING Group and ANZ. He also has regional responsibility for bancassurance. He said he would focus on boosting the 20 per cent annual business growth rate in terms of inflows and new premiums in the region. ING Australia has started a global search within the company for a replacement.