Canopius looks to grow in specialty, ramping up hiring in Asia Pacific

Global Lloyd’s specialty re/insurer  Canopius Group is continuing to build its presence in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region with the strategic appointment of an experienced marine underwriter. Following the hiring of a casualty underwriter in March, the company is looking to build scale in areas of specialism like marine with further hires in Australia and the APAC region.

The company has appointed David Hoffman as marine underwriter. Based in Sydney, Hoffman will oversee the expansion of Canopius’ local marine offering throughout Australia, while working closely with the team in Singapore to deliver a marine portfolio throughout the broader Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

Hoffman has more than 25 years’ industry experience, having held senior underwriting, claims adjustment and portfolio management-focused roles across marine cargo, marine liability and hull classes. He was most recently head of marine at Lion Underwriting and a senior marine loss adjuster for Sedgwick prior to that. Other roles have included national manager at Proteus Marine Insurance and senior marine underwriter at Liberty International.

Canopius claims its APAC business unit has grown rapidly, with a recent focus on its offer for the Australian market. Hoffman’s arrival marks the latest in-country hire, following the appointment of David Mutton as casualty underwriter in March, to lead Canopius’ newly launched trading office in Melbourne.

The company says it is taking a “disciplined approach” to building scale in areas of clear specialism, like marine, Canopius plans to make further hires in Australia and throughout the APAC region.

Charles Fernandez, head of marine, said: “We are very excited to be expanding our marine footprint in Australia. David’s skills and tremendous breadth of marine insurance experience will compliment those of our existing team of specialists across other business classes. I thoroughly look forward to working with him.”

Paul Hackett, head of short tail – APAC & MENA, said: “As we look to expand our APAC proposition, building a locally empowered team that has the skillset to deliver global solutions is a key part of our growth plan. We are therefore delighted to welcome a professional of David’s calibre to the Sydney office, who brings with him an extensive client and broker network.”

Hoffman commented: “I am excited to be joining Canopius’ focused, enthusiastic and collaborative team in Sydney. I look forward to continuing the momentum built to date by bringing the Canopius offering to the Australian marine market. Using a creative and analytical approach, we will avoid ‘off the shelf’ solutions to tackle complex marine exposures, providing the bespoke service Canopius is known for. I look forward to developing our portfolio of clients at Canopius as we expand the marine offering throughout the APAC region and pursue ambitious plans for growth.”

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