Markel builds new claims leadership team for wholesale and national markets business

Specialist insurer Markel International has formed a new leadership team for claims across its wholesale and national markets businesses.

The team includes Chris O’Shea, who has been appointed as claims director for wholesale; Richard Napoli, whose UK responsibilities will be expanded to include oversight of Canada and Europe with the new title of claims and legal services director for national markets; and Sarah Wilcox, who will be operations director for claims, continuing to build on claims efficiency and data management.

O’Shea was appointed as head of reinsurance claims for Markel in 2016 and in January 2019 also given charge of claims for specialty and financial lines. He has over 19 years of technical claims handling experience in the London Market.

Napoli has been at Markel for nine years, having trained at Irwin Mitchell, and was recently promoted to head up both the fee paying legal team and claims for national markets, UK.

Wilcox has 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry, the last 16 at Markel, heading up underwriting support and change management before her move to claims to manage the volume claims team.

William Stovin, president of Markel International, said: “As both the wholesale and national markets sides of the business go from strength to strength, it has become increasingly apparent that we need to be more strategic in the claims support we provide for them. This new leadership team means that the different areas of the business will have more specialised management, tailored to suit the specific needs.

"Chris, Richard and Sarah are all renowned, both internally and externally, for their drive, ambition and hard work in moving the Markel claims service forward and so were the perfect candidates to make up this new team. We’ve no doubt that they’ll work together brilliantly, to ensure synergy across our claims teams but also the specialist focus required for each area.”