Leadership shuffle at Canopius as APAC chief named new UK CEO
Global specialty re/insurer Canopius Group has appointed its APAC CEO, with over 30 years in leadership roles including at Guy Carpenter and XL Catlin, as new chief executive officer for the UK, aiming to bolster its market presence.
Mark Newman will take up his new role as CEO UK from January 1, 2024, transitioning from his current role as CEO for the Asia Pacific region.
Newman will also join the board of directors of Canopius Managing Agents (CMA), subsequent to approval by the UK’s Prudential Regulation Authority. Interim UK CEO Kate Roy will step down from the position on December 31, 2023 and retain her role as group chief operating officer.
Canopius said it is currently shortlisting both internal and external candidates to succeed Newman in the role of APAC CEO. Newman will continue to support the region in the interim and beyond, to ensure a smooth continuation of leadership.
Newman takes up the UK CEO position after seven years with the business, having joined Canopius as APAC CEO in 2016 and joining the global leadership team in 2021. He has been a Canopius Asia Pte. (CAPL) Board Member and Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) approved principal officer since 2016.
During his time as head of Canopius APAC, the company said the unit increased its revenue five-fold, and the business exceeded all key performance indicators in its strategic plan, cementing its position as the largest Lloyd’s Managing Agent in the region.
Prior to Canopius, Newman held a series of leadership positions over his three-decade career, with 20 of those years at chief executive level. He took on the role of CEO Guy Carpenter Fac Asia Pacific in 2000, before moving to the formerly known Catlin as CEO APAC in 2008. He later became head of Asia and deputy CEO Asia at XL Catlin between 2015 and 2016, based in Singapore.
Newman has been an elected member and group chair of the Asia Pacific Market Group (APMG) since 2019. He was re-elected to serve the interests of Lloyd’s managing agents in the region in 2022, for his second three-year term.
Neil Robertson, Canopius Group CEO, said: “We are thrilled that Mark will be taking over the leadership of our UK business. He has led the successful evolution of our APAC operations, exceeding the five-year growth plan for our Singapore and Australia businesses. He has proven himself to be the right candidate to take on the role of UK CEO, and I’m confident that he will build on his strong track record and assist our UK teams execute their growth plans.
Newman said: “For me, it’s always all about the people - I have been privileged to be part of an excellent APAC team, and one that I’m also very proud of - it’s that collective success that has qualified me for this new and exciting role. I look forward to working with all our UK colleagues too, in striving to take Canopius to the next level.”
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