Canopius Group has named Soon Keen Lee (SK Lee) as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for its Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & North Africa (MENA) operations, pending regulatory approval.
She is expected to join the global specialty (re)insurer before the end of Q2 2024.
In her new role, Lee will be responsible for the development of Canopius’s operations in APAC, which saw gross written premium growth of 35% in 2023. She succeeds longtime APAC CEO Mark Newman, who recently took up the role of UK CEO in London.
She will report to Group CEO Neil Robertson and join the Canopius Group Leadership Team.
Neil Robertson
Group CEO at CanopiusLee has had a distinguished 28-year career in the insurance industry so far. She joins from AIG where she was Head of Commercial Property and SME for APAC. Her tenure at AIG marked her second stint at the business and her extensive experience also includes senior roles at Catlin and Aspen Re Singapore.
Neil Robertson commented on the new appointment, “We are delighted to welcome SK to Canopius. I believe she has all the qualities necessary to help us take the next step in our exciting journey in the region. SK brings fantastic experience, a deep knowledge of the market and her leadership style will complement our strong positive and winning culture.”
Lee shared her own ambitions for the new role, commenting “Canopius is a leading (re)insurer in our region, and I want to advance the business, continuing to achieve ambitious targets year-on-year. There are many exciting opportunities for us to not only cement our status as the leading Lloyd’s syndicate in Singapore but also to develop our fast-growing proposition in Australia.”
Canopius operates internationally, offering a wide range of specialty insurance solutions across more than 130 countries. The company underwrites through various platforms including Lloyd’s Syndicate 4444, Canopius US Insurance, Inc, and Canopius Reinsurance Ltd, a Bermuda-based Class 4 Reinsurer.