Canopius has announced the appointment of Mark Houghton to the newly created role of Global Product Leader, Specialty. Houghton will begin his role in October and report directly to Group Chief Underwriting Officer Sam Harrison.
He brings over 20 years of experience in insurance and financial services to Canopius and joins from AXA XL, where he led the Political Risk team for over a decade before becoming Head of Specialty in Asia.
Houghton will continue to be based in Singapore and will be responsible for product development and innovation, as well as establishing Canopius’ risk appetite for specialty lines worldwide, the global (re)insurer said in a media release.
His responsibilities will include overseeing the governance, performance, and standards of Canopius’ specialty underwriting lines.
Harrison, Group Chief Underwriting Officer, commented on the appointment, “Mark is perfectly suited to this new role with his incredibly valuable experience. I’m delighted to welcome him to the team.”
He also added context on the creation of the new position: “To realise our continued growth ambitions, we’re expanding our global underwriting structure to help us innovate and develop products in line with our strategic objectives and risk appetite.
Having someone responsible for product innovation and development globally from our base in Singapore reflects our growing footprint across the world.”
Commenting on his new role, Houghton said, “Canopius is known for its collaborative approach, always going the extra mile for its clients and brokers.
It’s a hugely exciting time to be joining the business and I look forward to helping cement Canopius’ status as a provider of practical solutions in the world’s leading specialty markets.”