Markel appoints former BMS boss as director

Markel International, the specialist insurer, has appointed John Spencer as non-executive director.

Spencer has more than 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry. He was chief executive of Lloyd’s insurance and reinsurance broker BMS Group between 1997 and 2008 and, prior to that, was head of Lloyd’s development & operations, the Americas, from 1995.

He is currently non-executive chairman of Argo Managing Agency, a non-executive director of Newline Underwriting Management, and Newline Insurance Company, and a non-executive director of Thompson Heath & Bond. He also chairs the management board of the Lloyd’s Community Programme.

Spencer is the fourth non-executive director on the Markel board, along with Ian Marshall, a senior adviser to the Prudential Regulation Authority, Ralph Snedden, former chief executive of Euler Hermes International and Anne Whitaker, a board member of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and a former audit partner at EY.

William Stovin, president of Markel International, said: “John’s got this industry in his blood, having held director level appointments in a number of companies for over 30 years. We are looking forward to him being part of our board as we drive our wholesale business forward to strengthen its position as a top quartile specialist insurance player and significantly grow our national markets businesses here and overseas.”