Canopius: Everything you need to know
Headquarters address |
22 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4BQ, United Kingdom |
---|---|
Year established |
2003 |
Size (employees) |
2000+ |
Gross written premiums |
US$2,338 million (2022) |
Global locations | Australia, Bermuda, China, the Netherlands, Singapore, UK, US |
Underwriting expertise |
Accident & health; casualty; credit, political and crisis management; cyber; delegated authority; energy; heavy industry and engineering; marine; open market property; reinsurance; space; specialist consumer product; specie; VAVE |
Key people |
Neil Robertson – Group Chief Executive Officer Nick Betteridge – Chief Actuary Gabby Folliard – Chief Claims Officer Mark Newman – Chief Executive (APAC) Sarah Willmont – Chief Executive (UK) Lisa Davis – Chief Executive (US & Bermuda) Gavin Philips – Chief Financial Officer Barbara Turner – Chief HR Officer Kate Roy – Chief Operating Officer Lindsay Astor – Chief of Staff/ Head of Strategic Development Mike Duffy – Chief Underwriting Officer Sheldon Lacy – Chief Risk & Governance Officer |
About Canopius
Canopius is a global specialty (re)insurer that has underwriting operations in Australia, Bermuda, China, Singapore, The Netherlands, the UK, and the USA. Its products and services are divided into two business lines:
Insurance
Reinsurance
The company’s ILS platform also gives investors access to the (re)insurance markets through underwriting and distribution of the Canopius group.
History of Canopius
Canopius was established via a management buyout in December 2003, with £25 million equity capital. Throughout the years, the company has grown through acquisitions and organic expansion.
The company’s name reflects its heritage, linking back to Nathaniel Canopius, who was a Cretan scholar known to have brewed the first cup of coffee in England in 1637. In the 17th century, Edward Lloyd’s coffee house became recognised for taking out marine insurance in London. Canopius eventually became heavily associated with the Lloyd’s market, which remains at the core of the company’s operations.
Leadership at Canopius
Neil Robertson – Group CEO
Robertson was appointed as group chief executive officer in January 2022, succeeding Michael Watson, who continued in his role as group chairman. Robertson joined Canopius as deputy group CEO in May 2021.
As group CEO, he leads Canopius in setting and achieving its strategic ambitions, furthering its distinctiveness, and delivering enhanced returns for our shareholders, all while creating a culture in which its employees can thrive. Robertson also focuses on developing its Asia-Pacific, Bermudian and US operations, while continuing to build brand recognition as a leading London specialty (re)insurer.
Michael Watson – Group chairman
Watson is the executive chairman of Canopius. He is a chartered accountant and has more than 40 years of experience in commercial and investment banking, stock broking, trade finance, and life and non-life insurance.
Watson led the original management buyout of Canopius in 2003 and 2018. He is also the director of Weston Insurance Holdings Corporation and serves on Lloyd’s Council.
Culture at Canopius
Canopius promotes equality and diversity in the workplace. In 2019, the company made changes to drop its mean salary gap further and increase female representation at the highest levels of the firm.
The company also improved its family-friendly policies by amending its approach to maternity, paternity and shared parental leaves as well as encouraging working parents by introducing “maternity & family buddies.” The programme allows “buddies” to share advice on planning for upcoming parental leave, how to prepare for their return to the office, and how to keep in touch.
Hiring aims to enhance operations and align technology to support growth
Offering designed to provide additional capacity
The appointment supports the expansion of the company's mining practice
He brings almost four decades of expertise to the global re/insurer